LAB 02 Bifilar Suspension

Experiment 02

Objective
To determine the moment of inertia of bifilar suspension

Apparatus
The apparatus shown in Figure 01 consists of bifilar or trifilar suspension with three different
objects; a cylinder, a bar and a hollow cylinder which can be suspended from the mounting plate
and cause to oscillate. The length of suspension can be altered by adjusting the thread with the
locking wheels. The bar is attached to two threads (bifilar) while the cylinders have three
suspension points (trifilar).

Figure 1(a): Bifilar Suspension

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LAB 02 Bifilar Suspension

Theoretical Background
We know that

TB (x  y)  mg
mgx
TB 
(x  y)
Similarly

mgy
TA 
(x  y)
So,
mgQA y
T Q l 
A A
(x  y)
T sin   mgy  QA x
A A
(x  y)  l
T sin   mgy  QA x
A A
(x  y) l
mgx  yQB
TB sin B 
(x  y)  l

Restoring Torque = TAA  TBB

Putting all the values

mgy  QAx mgx  yQB

T x y
(x  y)  l (x  y)  l
mgxy QAx  QB y
T ( )[ ]
x y l

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 LAB 02 Bifilar Suspension

As we know that

T  I
 I  mk G2
T  mk 2G.
mgxy QA x  QB y
mk G2 .  ()[ ]
x y l
mg.xy Q A x  QB y
 [ ]
mk G2 .(x  y) l
QA  QB  Q
mg.xy Q(x  y)
 [ ]
mk G .(x  y)
2
l
g.xy Q
  2 [ ]
kG l
 g.xy

Q kG2 .l

 T  2
 Q

l
T  2 KG
gxy
mkG2 l
T  2
mgxy
I l
T  2
 w.xy
T 2w. xy
I 
4 2  l
T 2 .mg.d 2
I 
4 2  l

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LAB 02 Bifilar Suspension

Experimental Procedure
1. Suspend the rectangular block or (bifilar pendulum) in the flat position by means of two
strings of equal lengths

2. Measure the distance between ‘2d1’ between the points of suspension at the rigid support
and the distance ‘2d2’ between the lower ends of the strings on the suspended block. As
both the distances ‘d1’ and ‘d2’ are same so we denote this by ‘d’

3. Measure the perpendicular distance ‘l’ between the planes containing the lower and upper
ends of the strings

4. Now, turn the body through a small angle about the vertical axis through the centre of
gravity and release it

5. Record the time twice for 20 oscillations and find the time for one oscillation (T)

6. Calculate the moment of inertia of the body with the formula

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LAB 02 Bifilar Suspension

Observations and Calculations

𝑀𝑔𝑇2𝑑1𝑑2 𝑀𝑔𝑇2𝑑2
𝐼= =
4𝜋2𝑙 4𝜋𝑙
Where
I = Moment of inertia of bifilar body
M = Mass of body
T = Period of oscillation for bifilar body
d1 = half the distance between the points of suspension of the at the rigid support
d2 = half the distance between the points of the body at which threads are attached
l= Perpendicular distance between the planes containing the lower and upper ends of the strings

Moment of
Sr. ‘’ Time for 20 Oscillations Time for one Inertia,
No. (cm) ‘t’ (s) oscillation

t1 t2 t3 tavg T(s) I (kgm2)

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LAB 02 Bifilar Suspension

Specimen Calculations

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 LAB 02 Bifilar Suspension

CLO-1
Measure different mechanical properties like moment of inertia, radius of gyration of different
systems.

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