Experiment 3

To get the mass of a PVC pipe by studying the shift in the center of Mass
Background: The center of mass of a system of particles is defined as
R cm

1
M

M i ri
i

If all the mass may be considered on the x-axis, the location of the center of mass is
given by
X cm

1
M

mi xi
i

In this experiment, you will be given a uniform pipe and a nut-bolt together with
a horizontal edge on which you can balance the pipe. You will fix nut/bolt at one end
of the pipe and find the center of mass. Then you will push the nut into the bolt to
change the mass distribution and again find the center of mass.
M1
M1
Suppose you place the bolt (mass
) at one end of the pipe
(mass

M2

X cm

). To calculate the center of mass, take

x0

at this end. Then,

L
2

M1 M 2
M2

L
M2
L
2
x
2 M1 M 2

M1
L

2 M1 M2

..(1)

b o lt

nut
M
d
bolt.Take

x=0
0

L
Now suppose the nut (mass

x0

) is put in the

at the left end of the pipe. Center of mass of the nut is a distance

d0

left to

x0

. It mass is

. The center of mass of the bolt is at

M1

.The center of mass of the pipe isat

mass of the whole system is.
X

xL/2

and its mass is

x0

M2

and its mass is

. The centre of

M d 0 M1 0 M 2 L / 2
M M1 M 2

If the nut is moved a distance

center of mass will be at
M d 0 d M1 0 M 2 L / 2
X
M M1 M 2

towards right,

d0

will become

d0 d

, so the new

The shift in the center of mass is

X

Md
M M1 M 2

..(2)

Using these equations,

M2

can be obtained

Experiment
1. Look at the materials given. The horizontal edge of the set square is used
to balance the pipe. The PVC pipe has some rough part. You can balance
the PVC pipe on the edge using the rough part.
2. Measure the length of the pipe and balance it on the edge. Put a chalk
mark at the place it balances. Verify that it is at the middle of the pipe. If
not, the pipe is not uniform. Write your observations properly.
3. Take the bolt and put the nut into it. By rotating the nut you canmoveit
linearly through the bolt. The linear distance covered in one full rotation is
called pitch. Find the pitch of the nut.
4. Fix the bolt at one end of the pipe and find the shift in the center of mass.
From this shift,length of the pipe and the given value of the mass of the
bolt, find the mass of the pipe.
5. Put the nut into the bolt with only few rotations. Find the center of mass.
Now give 20 rotations to the nut to take it further inside. Calculate the
d
distance
moved by the nut.
6. Find the new center of mass and hence the shift in the center of mass.
From this and the known values of masses of the nut and bolt, find the
mass of the pipe.

For Anveshika Coordinator

1. Take a PVC pipe of length 50cm and dia 1.5 cm or so. From the same
hardware shop purchase nuts and bolts of the size so that the bolt push
fits at an end of the pipe. Rub with a file or sand paper along the length
and in a width of few millimeters to make it rough. When you put the pipe
on a knife edge, you use this portion only. Else balancing will be different.
2. To make a knife edge, use a set square of geometry box and any plastic
box of wide opening. Cut two diametrically opposite slits in the bottle near
the opening and fix the set square in these, so that a straight edge is
placed horizontally. Fill the gaps of the slits by some adhesive to make the
set square stable.
3. Weigh the nut and the bolt as this informationwill be provided to the
students. Weigh the pipe but keep it with you and the evaluators.
4. Check that the nut has at least 25 threads. Else change the number 20
rotations in point 5 of instructions.
Suggested points for evaluation
1. Finding the pitch. How accurately do they determine complete rotation?
How many rotations do they take to measure the pitch? How do they
measure the linear length?
2. How accurately they put the chalk mark on the pipe to determine the
balance point? How accurately do they measure the linear distance
between the two marks of the pipe to get the shift in the center of mass?
3. Calculations and closeness of their result with the actual mass of the pipe.