Torque Forces - Balancing and Equilibrium

PHY 100 & 103

This lab is intended to demonstrate the effect of force at a distance from a fulcrum, resulting in an application of torque at the pivot. In this experiment, a meter stick pivoted on a support will be subjected to various forces via hanging weights on the meter stick. The students will measure the position and magnitude of these forces. From these measurements, the students will calculate the mass of the meter stick and the mass of an unknown object using known torques applied to the meter stick.

Equipment

Notes

Each table should have five lever knives. One of the five lever knives needs to have a plate over the clamp bolt. This is used for the fulcrum. The other four are identical - lever knives with hangers. These are used to hang masses from the meter stick.

Make sure that the room has plenty of paper.

Along with the initial apparatus set-up, supply a sufficient number of the appropriate paper procedure handouts for all of the lab sections that will use the set-up over the course of the week. Print the PDF, duplicate to double-sided pages, staple, and leave pile on instructor's table prior to first use of set-up.