Sunteți pe pagina 1din 3

Catherine Linsley

Physics 113 L
April 7, 2016
Lab report 9
Torque and Angular Momentum
I.
Abstract
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the change in the
angular momentum of an object to an applied torque. In the first part
of the experiment, weights were attached to a bar and a weight was
also dropped through a pulley. Using the slope from the angular
velocity versus time graphs, the angular acceleration was determined
to calculate the moment of inertia. Percent deviations around 30 and
40% were calculated from the experimental results in comparison to
theoretical calculations. In the second part of the experiment, both a
spinning and non-spinning gyroscope were observed to note the
direction of spinning in relation to torque.
II.
Introduction
Moment of inertia is a measure of the distribution of mass in a body,
and how difficult that body is to accelerate angularly. Angular velocity
and angular momentum are two vectors that are related by the
moment of inertia of the object experiencing the velocity and
momentum. The direction of an applied torque on an object is always
in the same direction as the resulting angular acceleration and the

change in the angular momentum. The net torque T on the system


is defined as:

T =I

(1)
Where I is the moment of inertia and is the angular
acceleration of the system. In this case, the net torque equation can be
rewritten as:
r T =( I object + I pulley )
(2)
Where T here is the tension in the string of the pulley apparatus,
which is the force that results in a torque being applied to the system
of the pulley and object.
In this experiment, the setup includes the pulley and object
attached to two cylinders both with a mass and radius on a thin rod
with a mass and a length that is rotated around its center. By
combining the moments of inertia of the three objects, we can write
the equation for I object , or the moment of inertia of the object.
1
I object =M 1 R21 + M 2 R 22+ M rod L2
12
(3)

Lastly, the tension on the string gives a torque to the system, which
in turn creates an angular acceleration. This is given by the mass of
the hanging block multiplied by the linear acceleration.
T =m( gr )
(4)
We can then use the value for the tension in the equation for torque
in order to calculate torque.
III.
Materials and Methods
In the first part of the experiment, we first found the angular
acceleration. To do so, we attached weights to the two ends of the rod
on an axle, and wound a string around first the larger pulley with a
hanging weight of 20g. Using the pasco computer system, we recorded
an angular velocity vs. time graph of the weight at free fall. Using the
slope, we were able to determine the angular velocity. We repeated
these steps with the weights at the ends of the rod, with the large
pulley followed by the smaller pulley, and once again with the two
weights at midpoints on the rod.
Having found the angular acceleration from the velocity vs. time
graphs, we then used (2) with (4) substituted in for the tension to
determine the torque and to find the moments of inertia of the
rotational apparatus for each of the four configurations we tested.
These values served as the experimental values. Then, using (3) we
calculated the theoretical moments of inertia for each configuration in
order to find the percent deviations for each.
Lastly, we observed a gyroscope spinning at a non perfect vertical
that fell over. We observed it again while spinning. We determined the
direction of the gravitational torque, direction of procession, and again
while spinning the gyroscope from its other end.
IV.
Results
Table 1. Moment of Inertia for weights on ends of the rod
Pulley Used
Experimental
Theoretical
Percent
Moment of
Moment of
deviation
Inertia
Inertia
(kg/m^2)
(kg/m^2)
Large Pulley
0.00720
0.005009
30.4%
Small Pulley
0.00844
0.005009
40.6%
Table 2. Moment of Inertia for weight at middle of the rod
Pulley Used
Experimental
Theoretical
Percent
Moment of
Moment of
deviation
Inertia
Inertia
(kg/m^2)
(kg/m^2)
Large Pulley
0.00204
0.00133
34.80%

Small Pulley

0.00238

0.00133

44.1%

V.
Discussion
While we successfully measured all necessary radii and masses of
the system for our calculations, and accurately determined the angular
acceleration for each configuration by taking the derivative slope of
the velocity vs. time graphs, there was variation in the amount of error
in the final moment of inertia results. In the case when the weights
were farther out, at the ends of the rod, we had reasonable error of
30.4% with the larger pulley and 40.6% with the small pulley. In the
case when the weights were pulled in closer to the mid points of the
rod, we also had reasonable error of 34.8% with the larger pulley and
44.1% with the smaller.
In terms of sources of error, the human error must have been small
to negligible, as we double checked our calculations and
measurements from which we computed those calculations. However,
its possible that there was a measurement that was off, and could
have affected the calculations for the theoretical values. Most likely
however, the error is due to variation in the distribution of moment of
inertia, or mass around the point of rotation. This changes the
acceleration that the torque of the system feels.
Upon observing the spinning gyroscope in two situations, we were
able to determine information on its gravitational torque, as well as its
direction of procession. In the first case when we spin the gyroscope
with its red end pointing upward, the direction of its gravitational
torque is pointing outward. Its direction of procession is in the
counterclockwise direction. In the other case when the spinning top
has its red end on the bottom, the gravitational torque is pointing
inward, but really the top is defying gravitational torque as it stays
upward. The top also spins with a clockwise direction of procession.

S-ar putea să vă placă și