Question 1 Report
TEST OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTION
You are provided with a uniform metre rule, a knife-edge, some masses and other necessary materials.
i. Determine and record the centre of gravity of the metre rule.
ii. Fix the 100g mass marked N at a point Y, the 80cm mark of the rule using a sellotape.
iii. Suspend another 50g mass marked M at X, a distance A = 1Ocm from the 0cm mark of the rule.
iv. Balance the arrangement horizontally on the knife edge as illustrated in the diagram above.
v. Measure and record the distance B of a knife-edge from the 0cm mark of the rule.
vi. Repeat the procedure for four other values of A =15cm, 20cm, 25cm and 30cm.
vii. Tabulate your readings.
viii. Plot a graph with B on the vertical axis and A on the horizontal axis.
ix. Determine the slope, s, of the graph.
x. Also determine the intercept, c, on the vertical axis.
xi. Evaluate:
\(\propto\)) = k\(_{1}\) = (\(\frac{1 - 2s}{s}\))100
(\(\beta\)) = k\(_{2}\) = \(\frac{2c}{s}\) = 160
xii. State two precautions taken to obtain accurate results.
(b)i. Define the moment of a force about a point.
ii. State two conditions under which a rigid body at rest remains in equilibrium when acted upon by non-parallel coplanar forces.