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Experiment: Apparatus:: To Find The Modulus of Rigidity of Copper Wire Using Maxwell's Needle

This experiment aims to determine the modulus of rigidity of copper wire using Maxwell's needle apparatus. The apparatus includes a copper wire, Maxwell's needle, and other components. By measuring the time period of oscillations of the needle with solid and hollow cylinders, and using the given formula, the modulus of rigidity is calculated. The calculated value is compared to the accepted literature value to check the accuracy of the experiment. Proper precautions are outlined to ensure accurate measurements and regular oscillations.

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5K views2 pages

Experiment: Apparatus:: To Find The Modulus of Rigidity of Copper Wire Using Maxwell's Needle

This experiment aims to determine the modulus of rigidity of copper wire using Maxwell's needle apparatus. The apparatus includes a copper wire, Maxwell's needle, and other components. By measuring the time period of oscillations of the needle with solid and hollow cylinders, and using the given formula, the modulus of rigidity is calculated. The calculated value is compared to the accepted literature value to check the accuracy of the experiment. Proper precautions are outlined to ensure accurate measurements and regular oscillations.

Uploaded by

amit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Experiment: To find the modulus of rigidity of copper wire using Maxwell's needle.

Apparatus: Maxwell's needle, a rigid support with a swivel or torsion head, a copper wire of
suitable length and suitable diameter, spring balance, screw gauge, stop watch, a telescope with scale
attached to its stand.

Theory: when a disc or rod is attached to a long wire clamped at its upper end and it is turned in the
horizontal plane so as to twist the wire, due to elasticity of the wire a restoring torque is set up in the
wire. On releasing the rod, it executes torsional vibrations about the wire at its axis. The motion being
simple harmonic motion and its time period of vibration is given by

Where I =moment of inertia of the rod about wire at the axis and c= couple per unit angular twist of the
wire.
Modulus of rigidity can be calculated by using the formula
= [2πl (m1-m2) L2]/ (t12 – t22)r4

Procedure:
1. Take copper wire of suitable length and diameter and remove the kinks by sliding it gently
across a smooth peg. Fix one end of the wore in th rigid support with the help of a clamp.
2. Put the hollow cylinders inside the needle and the solid cylinders outwards symmetrically and
clamp the needle to the second end of wire with the help of a clamp and let it hang freely in the
horizontal position.
3. See that the needle is perfectly horizontal. If it is not, move the torsion head in clockwise or
anticlockwise direction till it becomes horizontal.
4. Bring the needle close to the mean position of its oscillation and arrest its motion either by
placing a stand in contact with it r by tying the end of the needle to the stand by the thread.
5. Take a telescope with an inverted centimeter scale clamped to its stand and adjust its height
parallel to the mirror of the needle at a suitable distance form the mirror with the scale facing
the mirror.
6. Place your eye just parallel to the telescope and adjust the position of the scale and inclination
of the mirror such that the reflected image of the divisions on the scale is visible to the eye.
Focus the telescope on this image seen in the mirror which lies as far behind the mirror as the
mirror is in front of the scale. This image serves as the reference line for counting the
vibrations. To facilitate the focusing on the reference line first focuses the telescope on the
mirror and then adjusts the eye piece slightly to get the image. Adjust the vertical cross wire of
the telescope to coincide with one of centimeter mark of the image of the scale.
7. Remove the stand gently or burn the thread tied to it so as to release the needle. It will now
begin to vibrate in the horizontal plane. Keep the amplitude small and there should be no up and
down motion of the needle. No fan should be working near or above the suspended needle that
its motion is perfectly regular.
8. See through the telescope and when the image of the reference mark on the scale passes through
field of view across the vertical cross wire start the stop watch and count zero. Find the time for
20 vibrations and repeat the observation three times. Take the mean time.
9. Now interchange the solid and hollow cylinders. Taking the solid inwards and bringing the
hollow outwards and repeat the above step for time for 20 vibrations three times.
10. Find the weight of each of hollow and solid cylinders with spring balance and take the mean
weight for each.
11. Measure the length of the Maxwell's needle by meter scale. Also measure the length of wire
between point of suspension and point at which it is clamped to the needle.
12. Measure the diameter of the wire at several points along the length by the help of screw gauge
by placing it in two mutually perpendicular directions.

Observations:
S. No. Positions of solid cylinder Time for 5 vibrations Time period (t)(s)
1 2 1 2 mean
1 outside 2.10.00 2.09.00 0.42 0.42 0.42
2 inside 1.36.67 1.37.24 0.27 0.27 0.27

Weight of the solid cylinder = 0.24kg


Weight of the hollow cylinder = 0.06kg
Length of the needle L = 20.25cm
Length of the wire l = 1.5m
Diameter of the wire = 0.68cm

Calculations:
= [2πl (m1-m2) L2]/(t12 – t22)r4

= 6.9*1010Nm-2
Value from table = 4.5*1010Nm-2

Precautions:
1. The wire should have no kinks.
2. The wire should be of suitable length and diameter so as to remain stretched under the weight of
the needle.
3. As the radius occurs in fourth power, it should be measured accurately.
4. The motion of the needle should be regular and symmetrical.
5. There should be no up and down motion of the needle.
6. The amplitude of the vibrations should be small so that needle is not twisted beyond elastic
limit.
7. The telescope should be focused on the image of the mark on the scale and not on the mirror.
8. Two sets of cylinder should be exactly identical and hollow tube should be clamped at its
middle point.

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