All Experiments

Question 1

Investigate SHM in a spring

Answer 1

• displace the mass to initiate SHM from a fixed point
• measure 10T from the equilibrium position with the use of a fiducial marker and stopwatch
• Take all measurements from eye level to avoid a parallax error
• Divide your measurements by 10 to get the time period
• Take multiple measurements and then find the mean to improve accuracy
• vary mass and measure the time period T
  T = 2π√(m/k)
  T^2= 4π^2(m/k)
  plot T^2 against m. It should be a straight line through the origin

Question 2

Investigate SHM in pendulum

Answer 2

• Ensure angle is less than 10 degrees
• Release the pendulum using protractor
• Measure the time for a set number of oscillations then divide by that number
• vary the length and measure the time period
  -T^2= 4π^2(L/g)
  plot T^2 against L. It should be a straight line through the origin
• Take all measurements from eye level to avoid a parallax error
• measure multiple oscillations to reduce percentage uncertainity

Question 3

estimating g using pendulum SHM

Answer 3

• measure height h above the ground from pendulum with ruler
• measure v with light gates
• release pendulum and gpe will be converted to ke
• mgh=0.5mv^2
• v^2=2gh
• vary height h, measure v
• plot v^2 against h
• grad = 2g
• angle must be less than 10 degrees
• take multiple readings and take a mean

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Question 4

finding natural frequency

Answer 4

• Connect a frequency generator to system
• vary the driving frequency until it matches the natural frequency
• At this point resonance occurs and the amplitude is a maximum
• if damping present, amplitude will be lower and frequency will be slightly smaller

Question 5

Measuring the speed of sound

Answer 5

• tube which is closed one end and closed at other
• node at closed antinode at open end
• gently tap tuning forking above water
• move tube up and down to find the short distance at which sound has highest intensity(resonantes)
• L=1/4 λ
• v=fλ
• plot graph of L against 1/f it should be a straight line through origin
  grad = v/4 where v is the speed of sound

Question 6

how to find upper limit of hearing range

Answer 6

Loudspeaker and signal generator
Frequency increased until the limit of hearing
frequency determined using f= 1/T