SPH 4U Circular Motion Lab
Show the relationship of force, mass, radius and period including the proportionality
constant.
• Whirl a mass in a horizontal circle; measure the variables.
• Keep two of force, mass and radius constant and vary the third. Measure the period by
dividing the total time to complete 10 circles. How is frequency related to period?
• Do at least four (4) sets for the variable being considered, and a few trials for each
set (for consistency). In other words, if varying the radius (do at least 4 different
radii, but for each radius, complete 3 trials of 10 cycles for consistency).
• Repeat for the other two variables, always measuring the period.
• Plot graphs to show the relationships between these variables:
T:F T: 1/F T2 : 1/F
T:R T2 : R
T:m T2 : m
• Interpret your graphs.
• Use the Law of Joint Variation to put your results into a single proportionality.
• Substitute in your experimental values and calculate the proportionality constant.
Compare your proportionality constant with the expected theoretical value.
• Report your findings.
R m
DUE:
• Change variables by appreciable amounts
(ie. if R1 = 30 cm, make R2 = 45 cm)
• R must be measured perpendicular to the
tube, and in the same plane as the
rotation
• Keep the alligator clip approximately 3 Fc
cm below the tube
\sph4U\dynamics\circular_lab.doc
CIRCULAR MOTION LAB REPORT Name
Criteria Exceptional Very Good Good Satisfactory
Communication
• organization and • concise abstract • logical abstract • comprehensible • limited abstract
clarity of report abstract
• introduction has • introduction has • appropriate • introduction has
appropriate useful background introduction with little background
background info info some background info
• experiment • experiment • experiment clearly • experiment • experiment illogical
communicated outlined with outlined and easy outlined with some and/or awkward
clearly advisory notes to follow clarity
• effective use of • highly effective • effective • organized and clear • limited clarity,
language; grammar organization with organization and with some organization and
and spelling no grammatical few grammatical grammatical errors several
errors errors grammatical errors
10 9.5 9 8.5 8 7.5 7 6.5 6 5.5 5 4.5
Inquiry
• data manipulated • graphs depict • graphs depict • graphs depict • graphs depict
properly into exceptional data; useful data; appropriate data; proper data;
graphical highly effective considerable some correlations correlation present
representation correlations correlations
• experimental • constant properly • constant properly • constant derived • experimental
proportionality derived and derived and showing some constant shows
constant derived compares compares relationship poor relation to
using manipulated extremely well favorably theoretical
data
• sources of • sources addressed; • several sources • some sources • few sources
experimental error impact effectively addressed; impact addressed; impact addressed; impact
discussed with discussed; discussed with somewhat marginally
reasoning; impact reduction/removal considerable discussed discussed
on the of error(s) insight
proportionality suggested
constant
10 9.5 9 8.5 8 7.5 7 6.5 6 5.5 5 4.5
\sph4U\dynamics\circular_lab.doc
