ENGINEERING THE SIMPLEST

GRAVITY CONTROL CELL

BY

Fran De Aquino
Physics Department, Maranhao State University- UEMA, Brazil
deaquino@uema.br

2009

ENGINEERING THE SIMPLEST
GRAVITY CONTROL CELL
(1)
Aluminum foil
(7.5m X 0.45m; 10.5 microns thickness)
(2)
Chemical characteristics
Al 98.02%; Fe 0.80%; Si 0.70%;
Mn 0.10%; Cu 0.10%; Zn 0.10%;
Ti 0.08%; Mg 0.05%; Cr 0.05%.
2
(3)
A 15cm square Aluminum foil of
10.5 microns thickness with the
following characteristics: μr =1;
σ = 3.82×107 S.m−1 ; ρ = 2700Kg.m−3
(4)
A 17 cm square Foam Board
plate of 6mm thickness
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(4) (6)
Foam Board Ends of the connections

(5) (7)
The 15cm square Aluminum foil The Simplest GCC (finished)
of 10.5 microns thickness fixed on
the 17 cm square Foam Board
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Flexible Copper Wire

# 12 AWG

15 cm square Aluminum foil

(10.5 microns thickness)

Gum
(Loctite Super Bonder)

17 cm square Foam Board plate

(6mm thickness)

Aluminum foil
Foam Board

Fig. A – Details of the Simplest Gravity Control Cell (GCC).

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Dynamometer

50 mm

Sample
Aluminum foil Foam Board

GCC

Flexible Copper wire

# 12 AWG Pan balance

Battery 12V
r2* < 0 .1Ω

Rr ε2
0.36 Ω - 60W
Rheostat 0.60 Ω -100W

Oscilloscope

Function Generation
HP3325A

ε1

350Ω - 1W
Fig. B – Experimental Set-up.
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ε1 r1* R1*
~
f = 20 μHz

I1

ε2 RL
I2 r2* R 2*
+ −

I3

r p* R *p

ε 1 = 7.5 V (rms ) Function Generator HP3325A

r1* = 50Ω
R1* = 350 Ω − 1 W
ε 2 = 12V DC
r2* < 0.1Ω (Battery )
R 2* = 0.60Ω − 100W
r p* = 2.5 × 10 −3 Ω
R *p = 0.36Ω − 60W
I 1max = 30 mA (rms )
I 2max = 12.5 A
I 3max ≅ 12.5 A (rms )

Fig. C – Equivalent Electric Circuit