EXPERIMENT SF 303: 1.1, 1.

Physics Lab. Report

Name of the Experiment:

Centripetal Force

Rotational Inertia

Name of the students:

Alan Roza
Juan Benegas
Alfredo Vargas
Mathias Drews
Career:
IFE
Date:
20/05/2024

Score:
1. Centripetal Force

Objectives of the experiment:

The objective of the experiment is to investigate the relationship between centripetal

force, mass, velocity, period and radius for an object in circular motion.

Theory:

Uniform circular motion refers to the movement of an object along a circular path at a constant
speed. Despite the constant speed, the direction of the velocity continuously changes as the
object with mass 𝑚 travels along a circular path with radius 𝑟 and speed 𝑣. Consequently, the
object experiences variable acceleration, always directed towards the center of the circle, known
as centripetal acceleration 𝑎𝑐. The relationship between the magnitude of acceleration 𝑎, speed 𝑣,
and radius 𝑟 is:
2
𝑣
𝑎= 𝑟

According to Newton’s Second Law, when a body experiences acceleration, a net force must be
acting on it in the direction of the acceleration 𝑎. Since this force always points towards the
center, it is termed centripetal force. The relationship between the magnitude of the centripetal
force 𝐹, the body's mass 𝑚, speed 𝑣(= 𝑟ω), rotational period 𝑇, radius 𝑟, and angular speed ω is
expressed as follows:
2
𝑚𝑣 2
𝐹= 𝑟
= 𝑚𝑟ω

The tangential speed v = ωr, can be derived from the period T of circular motion：
2π𝑟
𝑣= 𝑇
= ω𝑟

Combining the two previous equations we can get the relation formula between the centripetal
force 𝐹 and period 𝑇:
2
4π 𝑚𝑟
𝐹= 2
𝑇

Materials:
● Aluminum experimental platform
● Roller pulley
● Dual Rotator
● Aluminum rotator holder
● Aluminum timer holder
● U-shaped shelf of metal weigh
● Copper weight
 ● The fishing line
● Long screw
● The hanger of centripetal-force experimental device
● The indicator of centripetal force
● sensors

Procedure:
Installation:

1. Set up the aluminum platform and adjust the foot to level it.
2. Insert and secure the rolley pulley into the platform's screw hole.
3. Position the DC motor through the grilles as shown in the figure and tighten the screws.
4. Place the rotator holder in front of the rolley pulley, insert the dual rotator into the hole,
and position the centripetal force indicator above it.
5. Insert the hanger through the centripetal force indicator hole so it is perpendicular to the
platform.
6. Position the adjustment balance at one end to create a counterweight.
7. Hang the largest weight (161.59 g) as illustrated, and attach the string rope to the weight.
8. Insert the rubber into the second slot, connecting the DC motor to the dual rotator.
9. Attach another thread to the remaining weight hooks, pass it through the pulley, and
attach the weight carrier to the end of the thread.
10. Note: Place the equipment at the table's corner so the counterweights are free and do not
touch the floor.
11. Position the sensor in the grid and secure it, ensuring it aligns with the rotator

Procedure:

1. After installation, adjust the centripetal force indicator to the position indicated by
the spring
2. Disconnect the line between the supporter and the heavy object, then measure the
length 𝑟 of the connecting line between the heavy object and the rotator 3. Set the
photoelectric counter to "Reflex" mode and ensure the infrared sensor is within the
dual rotator's radius.
3. Turn on the DC motor and gradually increase the power to raise the motor's
rotational speed. Observe the spring indicator and, when it matches the set
indicator from step 1, record the period 𝑇 on the photoelectric counter, then turn off
the power.
4. With the known period 𝑇 and rotational radius 𝑟, calculate the angular speed ω
(Rad/s) and tangential velocity 𝑣.
5. Vary the weight 𝐹, radius 𝑟, and mass 𝑚 of the heavy object, then repeat steps 1
through 4.
6. Use the collected data to determine the relationship between centripetal force 𝐹
and period 𝑇, mass 𝑚, tangential velocity 𝑣, angular speed ω , and radius 𝑟 using
the formulas.
2. Rotational Inertia
Objectives of the experiment:

The objective of the Rotational Inertia experiment is to determine how the mass distribution of
different objects affects their rotational inertia, and to verify the theoretical calculations of
rotational inertia using the parallel axis theorem through experimental measurement of angular
acceleration and applied torque.

Theory:

If we disregard frictional force and air resistance, the ease with which a body moves usually
depends on its mass, rather than its shape or direction of motion. However, for rotational motion,
the situation is more complex. The ease of rotation is influenced not only by the mass but also
by the position and orientation of the body around the rotation axis. Rotational inertia \( I \) is
used to describe how difficult it is to rotate a body. For bodies with the same mass, rotational
inertia varies depending on the mass distribution, shape, and axis of rotation. For bodies with
simple or symmetrical shapes, rotational inertia can be calculated using integration. The
rotational inertia for uniform and symmetrical rigid bodies with different shapes and rotation axes
is shown in the figure below.

For bodies with low symmetry, complex shapes, or non-uniform density, rotational inertia is
challenging to calculate via integration and must be determined experimentally.

Assuming the rotational inertia used in an experiment is measured about the center of mass, the
moment of inertia about any axis can be calculated using the parallel axis theorem. This
theorem helps determine the moment of inertia of a rigid body about any axis, given the moment
of inertia about a parallel axis through the center of mass and the perpendicular distance
between these axes.

Let 𝐼𝑐 be the rotational inertia of the rigid body relative to the center of mass axis, 𝑀 be the mass
of the rigid body, and 𝑑 be the perpendicular distance between another axis 𝑧 and the center of
mass axis. Then, the rotational inertia about axis 𝑧 is given by:

2
𝐼𝑧 = 𝐼𝑐 + 𝑀𝑑

Materials:

● Aluminum experimental platform

● Roller pulley
● Dual Rotator
● Aluminum rotator holder
● Aluminum timer holder
● U-shaped shelf of metal weight
● Copper weight
● The fishing line
● Testing rail
● sensors
● Long screw
● The rigid -body samples stationary on fixed rail
○ Rod- Type
○ Drilled hole-Type
○ Ring- type3
○ Disc -type

Procedure:

Installation:
1. Place the testing rail on the dual rotator.
2. Select one of the heavy objects: disk, ring, bar, or drilled holes.
3. Position the chosen heavy object on the rail, ensuring it is centered on the axis of rotation.
Sensor Configuration Options:
1. Timing
2. Time
3. From A to A
Procedure:
1. Pass the hook through the roller pulley.
2. Wind the thread several times around the middle part of the dual rotator. Ensure the roller
pulley is at the same height as the dual rotator.
3. Add weights to the hook.
4. Allow the hook with the weights to fall freely and record the period 𝑇.
5. Calculate the angular acceleration α (Rad/s²) using the formula:
1 2
θ =θ0 + ω0𝑡 + 2
α𝑡 where:

θ = 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 4π

θ0 = 𝐼𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 0
 ω0 = 𝐼𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 0
𝑡 = 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑟
α = 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑)
6. Calculate the torque τ using the formula:
τ = 𝐹𝑟
where:
𝐹 = 𝑚𝑔 (𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠)
𝑟 = 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔
7. Calculate the rotational inertia 𝐼 using the torque formula:
τ=𝐼· α