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vertabatt
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Homework Statement
As the captain of the scientific team sent to Planet Physics, one of your tasks is to measure g. You have a long, thin wire labeled 1.83g/m and a 1.21 kg weight. You have your accurate space cadet chronometer but, unfortunately, you seem to have forgotten a meter stick. Undeterred, you first find the midpoint of the wire by folding it in half. You then attach one end of the wire to the wall of your laboratory, stretch it horizontally to pass over a pulley at the midpoint of the wire, then tie the 1.21 kg weight to the end hanging over the pulley. By vibrating the wire, and measuring time with your chronometer, you find that the wire's second harmonic frequency is 200Hz . Next, with the 1.21 kg weight still tied to one end of the wire, you attach the other end to the ceiling to make a pendulum. You find that the pendulum requires 313 s to complete 100 oscillations. Pulling out your trusty calculator, you get to work.
What value of g will you report back to headquarters?
Homework Equations
F(1) = 1/2L * √(Tension/linear density)
Tension = 2*[tex]\pi[/tex] * √(L/g)
The Attempt at a Solution
First I drew a picture of the vibrating wire and labeled each half of the wire d.
So, since F(2) = 2F(1):
F(1)= 100Hz = 1/2d * √(1.21g/.00183)
Using this I solved for g:
g = 60.50d^2
Then I moved on to the pendulum portion, calling 2d the length of the wire that the mass hangs from:
Period = oscillations/time = 100/313s = .3195
Period = 2*[tex]\pi[/tex]√(L/g), so:
.3195 = 2*[tex]\pi[/tex]√(2d/g)
Solving for d:
d = .001293g
Then I combined equations to solve for g:
60.50(1.0111*10^-4g)^2 = g
g(1.0111*10^-4 - 1) = 0
g = 0, 9889.97
0 is an unreasonable answer, so I am left with 9889.97m/s^2, which is also pretty unreasonable (and incorrect).
What am I doing wrong here?
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