In Cavendish’s experiment,a)torque on bar AB having two small le...
Cavendish's apparatus for experimentally determining the value of G involved a light, rigid rod about 2-feet long. Two small lead spheres were attached to the ends of the rod and the rod was suspended by a thin wire. When the rod becomes twisted, the torsion of the wire begins to exert a torsional force that is proportional to the angle of rotation of the rod. The more twist of the wire, the more the system pushes backwards to restore itself towards the original position.
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In Cavendish’s experiment,a)torque on bar AB having two small le...
In Cavendish’s experiment,a)torque on bar AB having two small le...
Torque on Bar AB
The torque on bar AB is balanced by the restoring torque of the wire.
When the two small lead spheres are suspended from bar AB, they experience a gravitational force acting downwards. This gravitational force causes a torque on the bar AB. Torque is the product of the force applied and the distance from the axis of rotation.
The torque caused by the gravitational force on the lead spheres tends to rotate the bar AB in a clockwise direction. However, the wire suspending the spheres exerts an equal and opposite torque in the counterclockwise direction. This torque is known as the restoring torque of the wire.
The restoring torque of the wire is responsible for maintaining the equilibrium of the system. It ensures that the bar AB remains in a stable position without rotating under the influence of the gravitational forces on the lead spheres. Therefore, the torque on bar AB is balanced by the restoring torque of the wire.
Net Force on Bar AB
The net force on bar AB due to gravitational forces is zero.
The two small lead spheres experience a gravitational force acting downwards. These forces cancel each other out because they are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. As a result, the net force on bar AB due to gravitational forces is zero.
Net Torque on Bar AB
The net torque on bar AB due to gravitational forces is positive.
The torque caused by the gravitational force on each lead sphere tends to rotate the bar AB in a clockwise direction. Since the two lead spheres are located at equal distances from the axis of rotation, their torques add up. Therefore, the net torque on bar AB due to gravitational forces is positive.
To summarize, in Cavendish's experiment, the torque on bar AB is balanced by the restoring torque of the wire. The net force on bar AB due to gravitational forces is zero, but the net torque on bar AB due to gravitational forces is positive.