Static Equilibrium Pre-Lab Question

UM Physics Demo Lab 07/2013

Can an object that has multiple forces acting on it remain at rest? Explain your reasoning.

EXPLORATION
Exploration Materials
3 spring scales (Ohaus 20N/2000g) 1 one inch diameter split ring 1 2x2 perforated board 3 tool hooks to fit perforated board 1 set of ten inch cut steel washers (standard weights) 3 Clear plastic rulers (1 per person) 10 Xeroxed coordinate grid sheets 1 yardstick 1 steel gusset (angle bracket) 3 sharp pencils (1 per person)

Special Note
This activity requires good technique to achieve good results. Trace your directions from the scales carefullysmall errors in angle can produce large errors in distance. When tracing vectors from one page to another, be very careful that the two pages are not rotated relative to each otherthe top and sides of the two pages must remain parallel to each other. You will find that your ninety-degree angle tools are very helpful for this. Finally use the centimeter scale on your clear ruler to accurately draw the length of each vector.

Vector Addition
1. Pull on the ring with three scales and attach the wire loops at the top of the scales to the perforated board with the wire hooks provided to keep the scales under tension. For your vectors to fit on the coordinate grid the largest scale reading should not exceed 16 N. 2. Slide one of the preprinted coordinate grid sheets under the scales and align the ring with the circle in the center of the page. Rotate the paper so that the scale with the largest reading lies along the y axis of the paper (remember, this reading must less than or equal to 16 N). Tap the face of each scale gently to ensure that none of the pointers are stuck and then carefully and accurately trace under each scales hook with a sharp pencil to establish the direction each
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scale is pulling on the ring. Label each direction line with the reading on the corresponding scale. 3. Using the clear ruler, extend the direction lines you traced from the coordinate origin to the edge of the page. If the lines you traced will not pass through the origin, carefully move the clear ruler so that it is parallel to the line you traced and draw a line that will pass through the origin to the edge of the page. 4. Each group member should now make a personal tracing of this master data page. Simply lay a fresh coordinate grid sheet over the master sheet and make a dot that lies along each direction line. Draw the direction lines from the origin, through the dot to the edge of the page and copy the scale readings next to each direction line. This can be done very quickly. One group member should label the groups master tracing as Original Data Tracing and keep it in his/her lab notebook. Each group member should now perform the remaining analysis using their personal data sheet traced from the master copy. 5. Using the clear ruler, carefully measure from the origin a distance in centimeters equal to the scale reading in Newtons and mark this distance on the direction line. Do this for all three direction lines/scale readings. Draw an arrow head on each direction line ending at each distance mark. You have now represented the three vector forces pulling on the ring as arrows with their tails at the origin; the length of each arrow in centimeters equals the scale reading in Newtons. Your traced data sheet should now look like this (the scale reading labels are not shown in this cartoon):

To make it easier to talk about our data and analysis, lets all agree to label the three vectors as shown so we all mean the same thing when we refer to vectors A, B and C. 6. Now add these vectors tip to tail. To do this, place a fresh coordinate grid sheet over your data sheet with the coordinate axes of the two sheets perfectly aligned. Draw a dot at the tip of vector A (you can make it an arrow head if you like). Draw a line from the origin to your dot and you have made a copy of vector A on your top sheet. Now slide the top sheet so that the tip of vector A (your dot) is at the tail of vector B (the origin) and mark a dot or arrowhead to mark the tip of vector B on your top sheet. Draw a line to connect the tip of vector A with your new dot and you have drawn a copy of vector B tip to tail with A. Repeat the process one more time to place the tail of vector C at the tip of vector B. You have now pictorially added vectors A, B and C. Label the vectors in your drawing
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according to our convention. An arrow drawn from the tip of vector C to the tail of vector A therefore represents the vector sum A + B + C. 7. What is the state of motion for the ring with the three scales pulling on it?

8. What type of physical quantity do the vectors A, B, C that we have constructed represent?

9.

The vector sum of all forces acting on a body is called the net force. For a body to remain at rest, the net force acting on it must be zero. How long should the arrow be from the tip of vector C to the tail of vector A in your vector addition drawing, given that the ring is not moving?

10. Considering your answer to question 9, where in your coordinate grid should the tip of vector C be located if this experiment has worked perfectly?

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11. Considering your answer to question 10, give your assessment as to how well the experiment worked.

12. Discuss two possible sources of inaccuracy that could have affected the results of this experiment. Be very specific. Inaccuracy or errors in the equipment is not a specific enough answer. Explain how the equipment might have affected the results.

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Torques
Build a seesaw using your yardstick and one of your angle brackets as shown below:

13. Fill in the table below by balancing the seesaw with the distances and numbers of washers by balancing the seesaw to find the unknowns in the table. N1 and N2 are the number of washers in each stack of washers balanced on the seesaw. The distances D1 and D2 are measured to the centers of the holes in the washers. Report your distances to the nearest even inch

# washers

N1 3 2 4

inches

D1 4

N1x D1

washer-inches

# washers

N2 1 4

inches

D2

N2x D2

washer-inches

8 5

14. In light of your data if N1 = 6 and D1 = 4 inches, predict the distance D2 to place a stack of N2 = 3 washers to balance the seesaw.

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15. Now balance the seesaw with the washers and distances from question 15. Was your prediction correct? What value of D2 actually balances the seesaw?

16. State a relationship between N1, D1, N2and D2 which must be true for the seesaw to balance.

17. The product of vertical force and horizontal distance to the seesaw fulcrum is the magnitude of a torque vector which points into the page at the fulcrum if the seesaw rotates clockwise under the action of the force and out of the page at the fulcrum if the seesaw rotates counterclockwise under the action of the force. For a seesaw to balance without rotating, the net torque (vector sum of all torques) about the fulcrum must be zero. Does a balanced seesaw satisfy this condition? Explain your reasoning (Hint: textbook Chapter 2.1).

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Everyday Applications
APPLICATION
1. Mechanical advantage is defined as the ability to produce a large force from a small one. Explain how your seesaw data illustrate the mechanical advantage of a lever and a fulcrum.

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2. We have used the convenient experimental units of #washers for weight (force) and inches (distance) to compute torques (force times lever arm distance) in washer-inches. The SI (MKS-meters-kilograms-seconds) unit for torque is the Newton-meter (N-m). Using the data provided, convert one washer-inch of torque to Newton-meters. Round your answer so as to report three figures past the decimal point. Show your calculation in detail. Data: Mass of one washer = 0.016 kg Acceleration of gravity = 9.8 m/s2 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters (cm) 1 meter (m) = 100 cm

1 washer-inch = ______________ Newton-meters (N-m)

Summary: Vectors are added graphically by placing them tip-to-tail The net force is the vector sum of all the forces acting on an object For an object to be at rest, the net force acting on it must be zero. The product of vertical force and horizontal distance on a seesaw is the magnitude of a torque vector. The direction of the torque vector is into the page at the fulcrum if the force rotates the seesaw clockwise and out of the page at the fulcrum if the force rotates the seesaw counterclockwise. For the seesaw to balance at rest, the net torque vector at the fulcrum must be zero.

Property of LS&A Physics Department Demonstration Lab Copyright 2006, The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109