Analysis of Data

For an object in uniform circular motion the speed is constant, but this does not
necessarily mean that velocity is also constant. The velocity continuously changes
because the direction of the velocity is tangential to the circular path. Because of this, the
object is accelerating. (See Figure 1).

Figure 1: The velocity of an object in a circular motion is continuously changing

The first part of the experiment is about the determination of the centripetal force
(with constant mass of rotating body and variable radius of rotation). The actual value of
the centripetal force is known to compare with the result of the experiment. The actual
value of centripetal force is equal to the mass hanging plus mass of pan times the
acceleration due to gravity. The force in the spring is balanced by the mass hanging over
the pulley. This part was performed five times. Each trial the radius was changed to its
desired radius.
TABLE 1. Determination of Centripetal Force (variable radius of rotation)
Mass of rotating body,
= 207.8 grams
(mass hanging + mass of pan) x 980
= 24,500 dynes
Actual value of centripetal force
Trial
Period of
Frequency of
Centripetal Force,
Radius of Rotation,
(experimental value)
Rotation,
Rotation,
1
2
3
4
5

17 cm
2.389 s
18 cm
2.456 s
19 cm
2.487 s
20 cm
2.625 s
21 cm
2.956 s
Centripetal Force (average)
Percent Difference

0.4186 rev/s
0.4071 rev/s
0.4021 rev/s
0.3810 rev/s
0.3383 rev/s

24437.268 dynes
24472.593 dynes
25201.537 dynes
23816.900 dynes
19716.443 dynes
23528.948 dynes
4.04 %

Based on Table 1, the centripetal forces are almost the same having in mind that
the radius of rotation is changing. This is so happened because as the radius of rotation
changes the period of rotation also changes as well as the frequency of rotation. Meaning,
the frequency is dependent on the radius. The variable radius will not affect the
centripetal force because there is another parameter that is also changing. The product of
the changing variables will be the same for every change given to one variable since they
are dependent to each other and therefore will not affect the centripetal force. With one
parameter held constant which is the mass of the rotating body, the variable radius will
not have any effect on the centripetal force. (See Graph 1).
Centripetal force will increase if the frequency of the rotation is increased because
increasing the revolution per second will increase the centripetal force and will obviously
accelerate.
Graph 1: Centripetal Force (variable radius of rotation)
Determination of Centripetal Force (variable radius of rotation)
25
20
15
10
5
0
Radius of Rotation

Radius of Period
Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Frequency of Rotation

Trial 4

Trial 5

Determination of Centripetal Force (variable radius of rotation)

30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
Centripetal Force (experimental value)
Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 4

Trial 5

Average

The second part is also about the determination of the centripetal force (in this
time, with constant radius of rotation and variable mass of rotating body). The actual
value of the centripetal force we then again use: (mass hanging + mass of pan) x 980
cm/ . This was performed for three trials changing the mass every trial.
TABLE 2. Determination of Centripetal Force (constant radius & variable mass of
rotating body)
Radius of Rotation,
= 20 cm
(mass hanging + mass of pan) x 980
= 24,500 dynes
Actual value of centripetal force
Trial
Mass of Rotating
Period of
Frequency of
Centripetal Force,
(experimental value)
Body,
Rotation,
Rotation,
1
2
3

207.8 grams
2.657 s
157.2 grams
2.354 s
106.6 grams
1.902 s
Centripetal Force (average)

0.3764 rev/s
0.4248 rev/s
0.5258 rev/s

23245.265 dynes
22398.106 dynes
23266.224 dynes
22969.865 dynes

Percent Difference

6.45 %

Based on Table 2, the centripetal forces are still almost the same taking note that
the mass of rotating body is changing. Also, frequency will be dependent on the change
happening on the mass of rotating body. Their product will also be the same for any
change since one is dependent to the other one. Therefore, the variable mass of rotating
body will not affect the value of centripetal force. (See Graph 2).
Graph 2: Centripetal Force (constant radius and variable mass of rotating body)

Determination of Centripetal Force (constant radius and variable

mass of rotating body)
250
200
150
100
50
0
Mass of Rotating Body

Period of Rotation
Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Frequency of Rotation

Determination of Centripetal Force (constant radius and variable

mass of rotating body)
23400
23200
23000
22800
22600
22400
22200
22000
21800
Centripetal Force (experimental value)
Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Average

The last part is about the determination of the mass of rotating body (with
constant radius of rotation and variable centripetal force). This part was performed
five trials. Each trial varies a centripetal force. Thus, every trial, there was a
changed in hanging mass.
TABLE 3. Determination of Mass of Rotating Body (constant radius and variable force)
Radius of Rotation,
= 20 cm
Mass of rotating body,
= 207.8 grams
(actual value)
Trial
(mass hanging + mass
Period of
Frequency of Mass of Rotating Body,
(experimental value)
of pan) x 980
Rotation,
Rotation,
Centripetal Force
1
24,500 dynes
2.649 s
0.3775 rev/s
217.74 grams
2
29,400 dynes
2.413 s
0.4144 rev/s
216.83 grams
3
34,300 dynes
2.231 s
0.4483 rev/s
216.16 grams
4
39,200 dynes
2.084 s
0.4798 rev/s
215.66 grams
5
44,100 dynes
1.963 s
0.5095 rev/s
215.16 grams
Mass of Rotating Body (average)
216.31 grams
Percent Difference

4.01 %

Based on Table 3, the experimental values of the mass of rotating body is

almost the same with the actual mass of rotating body having in mind that the
centripetal forces vary. Also, as the centripetal forces vary, the frequency also

varies and will cancel out the effect of varying the force. Therefore, it will not
affect the value of the mass of the rotating body. (See Graph 3).
From the equation:

we can derive the equation to calculate

the mass of the rotating body which gives us:

Graph 3: Mass of Rotating Body (constant radius and variable force)
Determination of mass of rotating body (constant radius and
variable force)
50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
Centripetal Force

Period of Rotation
Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 4

Frequency of Rotation
Trial 5

Determination of mass of rotating body (constant radius and

variable force)
218
217.5
217
216.5
216
215.5
215
214.5
214
213.5
Mass of Rotating Body (experimental value)
Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 4

Trial 5

Average

For all the parts of the experiment we calculated the percent difference using the
equation:
Growing of the radius will increase the perimeter which means that the object
would have to move on a lengthier distance and will take much longer time to finish the
whole revolution. Going back to the equation, deciphering for frequency will bring the
radius in the denominator. Increase in the denominator will decrease the quotient which is
the frequency. From this analysis, an increase in the radius will decrease the frequency of
rotation therefore theyre indirect proportion.
If the centripetal force apparatus was set up somewhat off the horizontal, the speed
of the object moving in the trail will have a varying speed. There will be a time that the
object is increasing in speed and there will also be an instant that it will decelerate. The
free body diagram will be dissimilar in different places and will be the same in some
places because the angle between the weight and the tension will vary every time. These
are the sources of the change in speed of the object if the centripetal force apparatus was
set up slightly off the horizontal.
With one parameter held constant, the varying factors will not affect the other
factors because frequency will neglect the effects of such factors. If the varying factors
affect other, there will be no more uniform circular motion to take place. Since constant
speed is applied, and one parameter is held constant, the result of the other factors will be
in uniform.