6/29/2015

Balancingforces|NuffieldFoundation
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NuffieldFoundationTeachersPracticalPhysics>ForcesandmotionInertiaandNewton'sfirstlawBalancingforces

PracticalPhysics
Practicalactivitiesdesignedforuseintheclassroomwith11to19yearolds.

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>Astronomy
>Atomsandnuclei
>Electriccircuitsandfields

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Balancingforces
Demonstration
Theeffectoffrictionisreducedsothatyoucanseethatapairofbalancedforcesproducezeroacceleration
butnotnecessarilyzerovelocity.

>Electromagnetism
>Energy

Apparatusandmaterials

>Forcesandmotion

Plank,smooth

>Moleculesinmotion

Rollers,10

>Optics

Retortstands,bossesandclamps,2

>Physicalquantities

Demonstrationspringbalances,2

>Physicistsatplay

Singlepulleysonclamps,4

>Physicsapplications

Masses,1kg,2

>Waves
VideosandotherIOP
activities

Weighthangerwithslottedweights,10g
Cord

Howscienceworks
Apparatus
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Health&SafetyandTechnicalnotes
Thepersonstandingneartheadditional(upper)masstoreadthespringbalanceshouldbepreparedtocatch
theretortstandshouldittoppleover.
Readourstandardhealth&safetyguidance

Procedure
aPlacetheplankontherollersandthetwostandsontheplank.Eachstandcarriesonepulleyfixedtowards
thebaseandaspringbalance.Foreachone,acordpassesunderthepulleyandoveranotherpulley,which
youshouldclampfirmlytotheendofthebench.
bHanga1kgmassfromeachcord.Adjustthepositionsofthesemassessothatwhenonemassisonthe
floortheotherisalmostatbenchheight.

cAddanadditionalmasstotheuppermass.Ifnecessary,givethesystemasmallpushsothatitmovesonits
rollers,andquicklyreachesaconstantvelocity.Theadditionalmassshouldbesuchthattheplankdoesnot
continuetoaccelerate(50gisusuallyabouttherightvalue).

http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practicalphysics/balancingforces

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6/29/2015

Balancingforces|NuffieldFoundation

Teachingnotes
1Theforcesappliedtothesystemareinitiallyequalandopposite,sothatthesystemdoesnotaccelerate.Its
velocityremainszero.Thefairlysmalladdedmassissufficienttocompensateforfrictionalforce,sothattotal
horizontalforceonthesystemisagainzero.Whenthisconditionisachieved,thesystemhaszeroacceleration
andconstantvelocity.Explainthis.
2Wheneverforcesarenotbalanced,thesystemaccelerates.

3ThisresultingmotionisconsistentwithNewton'sfirstlaw.Anyobjecthaszeroacceleration(sostaysstillor
hasunchangingvelocity)exceptwhenanunbalancedforceactsonit.Thelawdefineswhatforceis:itiswhat
causesacceleration.
ThisexperimentwassafetycheckedinApril2005

Relatedguidance
Newton'slawsofmotion

Pagelastupdatedon24February2012

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