BIFILAR SUSPENSION

GROUP 1
CLASS E
GROUP MEMBERS
1. IFEANYI NDUKWE

20751

2. JOE GODWIN IME

20630

3. DENNIS OGANGWU 20606

4. GARBA MOHAMMED 20649
5. MOSES SAWA

20696

6. ONYEBUCHI UCHENDU

20828

7. STANLEY OKONKWO 20540

BIFILAR SUSPENSION
AIM: To determine the moment of inertia of a horizontal rectangular drop bar about
its center of mass using the bifilar suspension technique.
INTRODUCTION
The bifilar suspension is a technique used to determine the moment of inertia
of any type of object about any point on the object. This is done by
suspending two parallel cords of equal length through the object examined.
However, the approach taken for this experiment is to determine the moment
of inertia of a drop by suspending the cords through the mass centre of
bodies, obtaining an angular displacement about the vertical axis through the
centre of mass by a sensibly small angle.
SYSTEM LAYOUT AND APPARATUS USED
The apparatus used for this experiment consists of a uniform rectangular drop
bar suspended by fine wires (assumed to have negligible weight contribution
to the system). This rectangular bar contains holes equidistant from each
other and two extra with equal masses of 1.85kg, are made to peg through
these holes. Chucks are also in place to alter length of suspended wires.
In addition an enclosed-type measuring tape and weight balance were also
used for the experiment.
A diagram on the arrangement of the apparatus used is illustrated below:

Suspended
cord

Rectangular
bar

1.85Kg
Chuck
b
L
mg

x
G

PROCEDURE
1. With the bar suspended by the wires, the length L was adjusted to a
convenient extent and then distance, b, between the wires was measured.
2. The bar was then tilted through a very small angle about the vertical axis
and time taken for 20 oscillations of the bar, was recorded. From this, the
periodic time was also calculated.
3. The length L was further adjusted and the time taken for another 20
oscillations was recorded.
4. The inertia of the rectangular bar was then increased by including the
two 1.85kg masses symmetrically on either side of the centerline
distance x apart.
5. Then step 3 was repeated but with different values of L
6. The length of the wire L was then fixed at a value and the time taken was
recorded for 20 oscillations at varying distances x, between the two
1.85kg masses.
7. The rectangular bar was then detached from the apparatus arrangement
and taken to weight balance in order to determine the mass of the bar.
8. The internal diameters of the holes, the thickness of the rectangular were
also measured.

9. All measurements and data recorded were collated for experimental

analysis.

THEORY
THE GOVERNING EQUATION (THE EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS)
The equation of the angular motion is:

I d 2 mg b 2
=

2
4L
dt
2

------------ (1)

d mg b
+
=0
2
I4 L
dt
I =m k

Note that,

------------- (2) (dividing through by the moment of inertia, I)

(where k is the radius of gyration and m is mass of the bar)

So the above equation (2) may be written, as:

+ g b2
=0
4k2L

------------- (3)

From equation (3),

g b2
4 k2 L

Also T =

Where is the angular velocity of the bar.

where T is the periodic time.

Therefore;

T =4

k2 L
g b2

T =4

IL
mg b2

Also;
---------- (4) (Since; I =m k

However, Introduction of the two equal masses into the bifilar suspension system
can gives rise to a modification of its mechanism and the equation of the angular
motion. This also provides another approach to the determination of the moment of
inertia of the body. In this situation the length of the wires are kept constant and the
distances between the two equal masses are varied. This is called the auxiliary
mass method but for this experiment, our analysis would be on just the
generic bifilar suspension approach. Nonetheless, a description of its angular
motion is enumerated below;

( I +2 I . m )d 2 ( m+ 2 M )g b 2
=
---------- (5)
4L
dt2
I . m , is the moment of inertia of the body is added and

M is the mass of each

body added.

1
I . m= M r 2 + M x2
2
{r is the radius of the mass (it has a circular cross-section) and x is the distance
between the centre of the bar and this mass)

From equation (5)

+ ( m+2 M )
g b 2
(I +2 I . m)
=0
4L
Following the same approach from the previous period derivation, the new periodic
time (inclusive of the new masses) becomes;

L
(I +2 I . m)
g b2
T . m=4
(m+ 2 M )

------------ (6)

THE ANALYTICAL APPROACH

The general approach for calculating the moment inertia of any type of body about
any axis on the body is given as:
2

I = R dm= m R

Whereby individual moments of inertia from individual differential mass value

and distance X between the axis point and the object are summed up and its
summations gives rise to the final moment of inertia of that body.
For a solid object with a rectangular cross-section, the same general approach gave
rise to determination of the moment of inertia about its centre of mass G and this is
expressed as;

Is=

M l2
12

---------------- (7)

Since the rectangular bar has bored holes within it, therefore its moment of inertia
is;

I = Is (solid rectangular bar) - Io (bored holes).

Where Io is the moment of inertia of the bored holes.

Io=15

( 12 MoR o )+2Mo X
2

------------- (8)

Where Mo is the mass of the hole bored, Ro is the radius of each hole bored and X
is the distance from each hole (on either side) to the centre of the rectangular bar.
Note the there are 15 holes bored, hence its introduction in equation (8)
Therefore, Moment of inertia of the bar, I is

I=

M l2
1
[15 Mo { R o2 +2 X 2 }]
12
2

However,

Mo= Ro2 t

----------- (9)

where ( is the density of the rectangular bar

andt is the thickness of the rectangular bar)

Therefore the moment of inertia becomes,

X2
15 Ro2 t
M L2
I=

12

--------------- (10)

TABLE OF RESULTS
Basic Parameter Information;
Parameter

Value

Length of bar l

50.8cm

Mass of the bar m

1.4kg

Mass of each
added mass
Radius of each
added mass

Parameter
Thickness of the
bar
Distance between
the wires, b
Density of the bar
(steel bar)
Radius of each
bored hole

1.85kg
3.8cm

Value
1.2cm
0.48m
7850kg/m3
0.5cm

Data at various L (no mass included) TABLE 1

=
Test

1
2

L (m)

X
(m)

t (s)

t
20

0.3
0.4

13.54
15.38

(s)
0.677
0.769

k (m)
(from
equatio
n
above)
0.148
0.145

k2 (m)

m (kg)

I = mk2
(kgm2)

0.0219
0.0212

1.4
1.4

0.0306
0.0296

m
(kg)
{bar
}

M
(kg)
{the
adde

Data at various L (mass inclusive) TABLE 2

Test

L
(m)

X
(m)

t (s)

t
20

k (m)
(from
equatio
n

k2
(m)

I=
(m+2M)*
k2
(kgm2)

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.35
5
0.35
5
0.35
5
0.35
5

(s)

above)

13.77

0.689

0.150

15.29

0.765

0.145

18.58

0.929

0.157

22.05

1.103

0.170

0.022
5
0.020
9
0.024
7
0.028
9

1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4

d
mass
}
1.85
1.85
1.85
1.85

0.1153
0.1067
0.1260
0.1478

Data at various x and at a fixed L (i.e. L = 0.4m) TABLE 3

=
Test

L
(m)

X
(m)

t (s)

t
20

(s)
0.35
1
0.4
16.59 0.689
5
0.30
2
0.4
14.72 0.765
5
0.25
3
0.4
13.26 0.929
5
0.20
4
0.4
11.77 1.103
5
*Note: the extra parameters are not included in this table 3 because the radius of
gyration and moment of inertia are to be determined with the auxiliary mass
method but we are streamlined to work with the generic bifilar suspension equation
of angular motion.
In addition, the moment of inertia can be further determined by graphical
representation from data collated in the experiment.
Equation 4 aforementioned above can be modified to:

T 2 =16 2

( mgbIL )
2

Invariably,

T2

can be plotted against

L , whereby the slope can be used to

determined the moment of inertia, I. i.e. the slope =

16 2

I
mg b2

. Since m g and

b are known, and then I can be determined accordingly.

Additional table 4 (extrapolated from table 2)
T2
0.4747
0.5852
0.8630
1.2166

T
0.689
0.765
0.929
1.103

L
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6

T2 versus L graph
1.4
1.2
1

f(x) = 0.3x

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0.30000000000000032

0.4

0.5

0.60000000000000064

From the graph,

Slope (sec2/m)

Since the slope =

16 2

Therefore,

0.303=

16 2
I
mg b2

0.303

( mgI b )
2

as explained earlier

0.303=

16 2
I
5.19.810.48 2

I=0.0221 kg m2

ANALYTICAL DETERMINATION OF THE MOMENT OF INERTIA

From equation 10 above,
2

X
2
15 Ro t
M L2
I=

12
Therefore,

X2
1578500.0050.012
1.40. 5082
I=

12
I =0.01068 kg m2
The moment of inertia calculated analytically is 0.01068 kg m2

PRECAUTION(S)
1. Measurement taken from the rule and the weight balance was done such that
the line of sight and the markings of the measuring equipments were in
alignment in to reduce errors due to parallax.
2. When taking down the time for the oscillations at various distances x and a
fixed length L for table 3 data, the length L was periodically checked after
each test in order to maintain the fixed length value of 0.4m
3. Precautionary methods were in place to keep the masses at a very
comfortable position so as to avoid slip or fall which could in-turn cause harm
to our feet.
4. The experiment is done such that the oscillation was not dampened by
carefully tilting the bar before release for oscillations

CONCLUSIONS
OBSERVATION(S):
1. The periodic time significantly increased when the length of the wires also go
increased.
2. The periodic time also increased when the distances between the masses
added to system reduced
3. The moment of inertia determined using the analytical approach was
approximately equal to the value determined from test 2 in table 2 above.
4. The moment of inertia determined from the graph representation was greater
than the value gotten from the analytical approach indicating that the two
masses added during the experiment had a part to play in the increment of
the moment of inertia and also unavoidable human errors caused a variation
in their values.
5. The radius of gyration and moment of inertia reduced after the length of wire
was increased from test 1 to test 2 but increased right after till test 4.

FINAL DEDUCTIONS:
The bifilar suspension technique offers the opportunity to determine the
radius of gyration of a body by relating the readings gotten from the procedure in
the techniques and relating that into the equation of angular and this invariably
provides the determination of the moment of inertia for the same body. These
readings encompasses the distance between the wires used for the suspension, the
length of the wires, the time for the required number of oscillations, the distance
between the masses introduced into the experiment, and so on. All these and lots
more provide the avenue for determining the radius of gyration and the moment of
inertia
Below is a tabular representation of the final value of the moment of inertia
determined from the analytical approach, the graphical approach and a selected
value of the moment of inertia from test 2 in table 2.

Methodology

Moment
values

of

Analytical approach
Value from test 2 in table
2
Graphical approach

0.01068 kg m2
0.01067 kg m2
0.02210 kg m2

inertia