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200L Experiment 5 - 2024

The experiment aims to determine the radius of gyration of a wheel and axle rolling down an inclined plane using a wooden box as the apparatus. The procedure involves measuring the angle of inclination, recording the time taken for the wheel to roll down a distance, and plotting acceleration against the sine of the angle to find the radius of gyration. The theory outlines the relationship between potential energy lost and kinetic energy gained, leading to the calculation of acceleration and the radius of gyration.

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8 views2 pages

200L Experiment 5 - 2024

The experiment aims to determine the radius of gyration of a wheel and axle rolling down an inclined plane using a wooden box as the apparatus. The procedure involves measuring the angle of inclination, recording the time taken for the wheel to roll down a distance, and plotting acceleration against the sine of the angle to find the radius of gyration. The theory outlines the relationship between potential energy lost and kinetic energy gained, leading to the calculation of acceleration and the radius of gyration.

Uploaded by

fatimaia3565
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EXPERIMENT 10

wheel and axle rolling down an inclined plane


Aim: To determine the radius of gyration of a wheel and axle rolling down an inclined plane

Apparatus: Long, narrow, open wooden box, the top edges of which serve as rails over which the wheel
and axle rolls. Wheel and axle consisting of a metal disc through the centre of which is
passed a cylindrical rod. Wedge of wood, stop- watch, screw gauge, metre rule.

Procedure: The wedge is placed under one end of the box and the sine of the angle of inclination
measured from the length of PR and PQ. The wheel is held at rest with the axle on the
marked position A, and the time taken for it to reach the mark B, a measured distance S
down the plane, is taken. This is repeated three times, and the acceleration a down the
plane is obtained, using the mean of these times. The experiment is then repeated, using
different inclinations of the box, and a graph of acceleration a against sin  is drawn. The
diameter of the axle is accurately taken, and from the radius of the axle and the slope of
the graph, the radius of gyration k of the wheel and axle is found.
Theory: Let the radius of the axle be r and let the mass of the wheel and axle be M and its moment
of inertia I. Then on rolling from A to B, a distance S down the slope inclined at an angle
 to the horizontal, the potential energy lost is given by;
PE = MgS sin 
If the linear velocity of the wheel at B is v and its angular velocity  , then the
kinetic energy gained is;
1 1
KE = Mv 2 + I  2
2 2
since PE. Lost is equal to KE. gained then;
1 1
MgS sin  = Mv 2 + I  2
2 2
v 
2
I 
MgS sin  =  M + 2 
2 r 
Now if a is the acceleration down the plane, v 2 = 2aS , and writing I = Mk 2
we have:
2aS  k 2 
MgS sin  = M 1 + 2 
2  r 
Thus,

g
a= sin 
 k2 
1 + 2 
 r 

If t is the time taken to roll the distance S down the plane the acceleration can be
1 2
determined from S = ut + at with u = 0, initial position , then;
2
2S
a=
t2
By plotting a against sin  , a straight-line graph in obtained whose slope is
g
Slope(m) = , from which k can be obtained.
 k2 
1 + 2 
 r 

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