Torque Board, 1J40.25a

Topic and Concept:

• [:RigidBodies#StaticTorque: 1J40. Statistics of Rigid Bodies, Static Torque]

Location:

• Floor Item: ME, East Wall

attachment:TorqueBoard01-400.jpg

Abstract:

A whiteboard tear drop shaped wheel is mounted vertically on its CM horizontal axis so that it can spin freely. Various weights can be hung on it at various points. The wheel will then rotate to its new equilibrium.

Important Setup Notes:

• Some preparation may be advisable since there are several variables in this demo that can be adjusted.

Setup and Procedure:

1. Roll the board to the desired position with the white board side facing the audience.
2. Select which hole you would like the peg (point of the applied force) to go in. String with a loop at the end should already be hanging from the peg.
3. The string should run over the pulley. The vertical position of the pulley can be adjusted to attain the desired effect.
4. Weight hangers should be hung from each of the two dangling strings and weight should be added to the hangars.
5. The board will rotate until it reaches equilibrium. The dry-erase markers can be used to sketch out the applied forces and the position vectors as shown in the pictures below.

Cautions, Warnings, or Safety Concerns:

• N/A

Discussion:

Discuss the physics behind the demonstration, explaining some of the various steps of the demonstration when appropriate.

Videos:

• [https://www.youtube.com/user/LectureDemostrations/videos?view=1 Lecture Demonstration's Youtube Channel]

References:

• [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque Torque - Wikipedia]

• [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigid_body_dynamics Rigid Body Dynamics - Wikipedia]

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