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Bifilar Suspension apparatus

EXPERIMENT 1. Investigation of the factors determining the period of


oscillation of a Bifilar Suspension

Name :________________ Class No. :____ Date :________

Apparatus A wooden bar of rectangular cross section and about 40 cm long, cotton,
stopwatch, metre scale, two stands and clamps, spirit level, set-square.

Setting Tie a loop of the cotton round the bar near each end. Tie lengths of cotton
to these loops and pass the free ends of the cotton through split corks
held by separate clamps at the same horizontal level.
Start with each loop on the bar 1 cm from the end and the suspension
threads about 30 cm long.
Adjust the height and position of the clamps so that
(a) the suspended bar is horizontal (use spirit level),
(b) the suspension thread are vertical (use set-square against vertical
thread and the suspended bar),
(c) the suspension threads measured from bar to cork are equal in
length.
Task 1. To investigate how the period of oscillation varies with the
distance d between the vertical suspension threads.
Set the bar oscillating through a small angle about a vertical axis and with a
stopwatch take two determinations of the time for 30 complete oscillations.
Measure the horizontal distance d between the vertical threads.
Move each loop 2 cm farther from the end and repeat the timings, and then
continue to move the loops 2 cm at a time.

Task 2. To investigate how the period of oscillation varies with the length l
of the suspension threads.
Re-set the loops and hence the suspension threads to 2 cm from the ends of the
bar. Keeping this distance between the suspension threads constant throughout
the experiment, vary the equal lengths l of the suspension threads between 20
and 40 cm and obtain two readings of the time for 30 oscillations for each
value of l.

Results :

Task 1

Constant length of vertical threads l /m =


Distance Time for 30 oscillations Time for 1
between oscillation
vertical Log T Log d
t1 /s t2 /s Mean t /s T /s
threads d /m
Task 2

Constant distance apart of vertical threads d /m =


Length of Time for 30 oscillations Time for 1
vertical oscillation
thread l /m Log T Log l
t1 /s t2 /s Mean t /s T /s

Things to do

1. In experiment 1, plot a graph with the values of log T against log


d.
2. Measure the slope and interpret your result of the graph.
3. Find the relation between T and d.
4. In experiment 2, plot a graph of log T against log l.
5. Measure the slope and interpret your result of the graph.
6. Find the relation between T and l.
7. State the possible source(s) of errors of the experiments.
Compare the results obtained in (2) and (4) with the theoretical
values shown in Theory (*). Suggest some methods to improve
the accuracy of the experiment.

Theory Assuming that the relation between the periodic time T and the distance d
between the vertical threads is of the form T  d a , then
T
 k where k is a constant
da

Taking logs to the base 10 and rearranging,

log t  a log d  log k


PN
Thus the graph of log T against log d is a straight line whose slope, ,
QN
obtained from two well-separated points on the line, is the value of a,
1
which may be either positive T  d a or negative T  d  a orT  . In the
da
case of experiment 2, assuming the relation between T and l to be T  l a .

Theory shows that the full relationship between the periodic time T, the
length l of the vertical suspension threads and their distance d apart is

*
4Il
T  2
Mgd 2

where M and l are the mass & the M.I. about the axis of oscillation
respectively.

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