FORMULA USED

AIM
To find the
weight of a given body using parallelogram If E and F, represent the torces exerted due to weights
law of vectors.
arrangements A and B respectively, and 0 is the angle

between them, then, resultant force, |R | =

APPARATUS REQUIRED
A Gravesand's
apparatus, two hangers with slotted weights, F+F +2FF, cos
a
given body of unknown weight, a spring balance, plane The resultant force is equal in
sheet of paper, board pins, thin inelastic thread, scale,
magnitude and
in direction to the downward
oDDOsite force exerted bv
sharp pencil, mirror strip etC. the unknown weight on the thread.

P2

Q P

Block

Grauesand's apparatus
PROCEDURE 5. Take a shorter piece of fine
. The pulley are checked for free rotation
without any thread and tie it in
the middle of the first
friction. If need arises, the thread. Hang the unknown
pulleys lubricated so
are
that they move freely without friction. weight at the other end of this thread. Place the
2.
arrangement on the Gravesand's apparatus with
The Gravesand's apparatus is checked and set for a longer string passing through the pulleys as shown
perfectly vertical position with the help of a plumb in the figure.
line.
3.
6 Adjust the magnitude of slotted weights that the
A sheet of paper is fixed in the middle of Gravesand's so
knot tied in the thread
apparatus with the help of board pins. comes to the middle of the
paper.
4 Take a long piece of fine thread and tie
the hangers 7. The
at its ends. hangers with weights and the given body must
not touch the board or table. Let the
arrangement
 become steady or at rest, Now urk tl usillon
of knot as point O 0n the slieet ol paper plnned Pl a stripp unler threel Jerngtiwise at
nin a

shotuld
a k te pints on its hoth sidrs, "The strip
anud positim
board.
pesithened right hebind the thread curs
8. Push the unknown weight sligltly dowiwards Wait
y e hunules e s h that parallay
to become steady agnin. heck in the mirror. Mark
forthe arrangement between string and its imay
O thr that in a imilar
ifthe position of point now in ae n
the fores alng ther tw strinys al
marked before. If the two are diflerent, heck the
pulleys and arrangerments of the systen. Remve the hanggrs and weights from thr (itavesarnd's
f hanyers and
apparatu, Nete down the weight
slotted weights.
the
1. Renove the paper from the board and join
direction of force.
point pairs marked along eah
Extend the lines to meet point ).
Sy
and
12. Select appropriate cale to indicate weights
an
form a parallelogram, Cut of lengths (OA and O
Mirror torepreent forces, F and F, which a t at point ).
strip 13. The remultant force F lies along the diagonal of the

parallelogram which is equal and opposite to the

force acting downward due to weight W. Measure
the length of diagonal and obtain the value of
force duc to F, andF, repreented by
it
resultant
14. Take atleast 1wo more sets of readings selecting
different weights and find the unknown weight W
Calculate the mean value of weight.

OBSERVATIONs
Selected scale for drawing the parallelogram. gwt cm

Length Length Diagonal Unknown

S.No. F,(g wt) F(g wt) OA (cm) OB (cm) OC (cm) weight W (gwt

2. The board should be made vertical by using plumb

CALCULATIONS line.
W,+ W, + W,
Mean value of weight W of the body = W=
3. The pulleys should be frictionless so that string
gwt. moves freely about them.
4. Thread should have negligible weight so that its
RESULT
The value of unknown weight does not affect the results of experiment.
weight of given object 1s
5. The hangers and slotted weights should not touch
gwt.
the table surface or the board.
PRECAUTIONSs 6. Care should be taken that there is
between the thread and its mirror image, while
no
parallax
The Gravesand's apparatus should be
surface so that it stands stable.
kept on a flat
marking the points on the paper.
7. The parallelogram should cover the portion of sheet SOURCES OF ERROR
properly. This is done by proper selection ofscale. 1. Friction at the pulleys which does not allow
8. Always use a pointed pencil to mark points. free movement of thread, causes error of
experiment.
2. Air currents within the laboratory disturb the
equilibrium position of the arrangement.