Instruction Manual

012-13471A

*012-13471*

PASCO Mechanics

Super Pulley Force Table

ME-9447B

Force Table with 3

detachable legs

String Tie
Assembly

Storage
recess

Stacking
peg

Nylon
Thread

String Tie
Assembly
(3)

Super Pulley with

Clamp (3)
Super Pulley Force Table

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

About the Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Experiment 1: Vector Addition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Protractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Warranty, Copyright, and Trademarks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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ME-9447B 012-13471A Introduction

Introduction

Included Equipment Quantity Included Equipment Quantity

Force Table Assembly with Legs 1 String Tie Assembly 3

Super Pulley with Clamp 3 Spool of Thread 1

The Super Pulley Force Table includes equipment for vector addition experiments. You will also need masses,
mass hangers, and a balance..

Required Equipment Recommended Equipment

Mass and Hanger Set (ME-8979) Mass Balance (see PASCO catalog)

This manual contains descriptions of the included equipment and instructions for one experiment.

About the Equipment

The PASCO Model ME-9447B Force Table is used to physically demonstrate the addition of vectors using the
concept of equilibrium (net force is zero). The vectors are forces supplied by the weight of masses (not included)
that hang over pulleys. Masses hanging over pulleys placed at given angles are balanced by another mass over a
pulley at another angle.

Among the features of the Force Table are:

It is lightweight. (NOTE: Do not exceed 200 grams (0.20 kg) on each pulley.)

It can be stored in a small space.

The pulleys are low friction.

The adjustable pulley clamps allow the string to be positioned close to the angle markings on the table, reduc-
ing the parallax error in reading the angle.

Equilibrium is achieved when the String Tie Assembly is centered in the middle of the Force Table.

The Force Table has three detachable legs that can be stored in the leg holders and clips on the underside of the
table and the table includes spare String Tie Assemblies.

String Tie Assembly Clear Thread strings

disk through this hole.
The circular String Tie Assembly has two main parts: a clear disk
Ring on
through which the strings are tied and which is free to move from side to label
side over a short distance, and the outer part that snaps into the center of
the Force Table. The label on the outer part has a ring that shows when
the clear disk is centered. Outer part snaps into
the Force Table

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Super Pulley Force Table Introduction

Assemble the Force Table

1. Remove a leg from its
Turn the Force Table upside storage clip and holder.
down..Remove a leg from its storage clip
2. Line up the leg screw
and holder.
with a threaded hole.
Line up the leg screw with a threaded 3. Rotate the leg into the
hole in the underside of the Force Table. threaded hole.

Rotate the leg clockwise (left-to-right)

until it is firmly attached to the table.
2.
1. Storage Leg Threaded 3.
Repeat for the other legs. clip holder
hole

NOTE: Do not tighten the legs more than

finger tight. They will be removed later for Stacking
storage. peg

Turn the Force Table right side up.

Attach the Pulleys

Attach three of the ME-9448B Super Pulley

with Clamp to the edge of the force table.

Each clamp has two positions for holding the

pulley yoke. You may want to move the pul-
ley yoke to the lower position so that the top Underside of
edge of the pulley can be more easily aligned Force Table
with the top surface of the table. To do this,
unscrew the thumbscrews on both sides of the
clamp. Arrange the pulley yoke so the holes Clamp
in the yoke are aligned with the lower
threaded holes of the clamp. Replace the two Storage recess
thumbscrews but do not overtighten. NOTE:
Each thumbscrew has a slotted head. If the
thumbscrew is too tight, use a flat blade Yoke
screwdriver to loosen it.
Thumbscrew

NOTE: If more than two forces are to be

added, use the desired number plus one pulley
and clamp for the equilibrium force. ME-9448B
Super Pulley
with Clamp
Attach the Strings.
String
Get three pieces of string (thread), each about 30 centimeters long. Twist
the ends of the strings together and thread the three strings through the
hole in the middle of the clear plastic disk on the String Tie Assembly.
Pull the ends of the threads through the hole and tie them together with an
overhand knot so that the strings cannot be pulled back through the clear Tie the ends
plastic disk together.

Insert the String Tie Assembly

The String Tie Assembly fits into the circular recess in the middle of the Force Table. The circular recess has two
rectangular holes in the bottom and two shallow notches on its edge. The two short legs of the outer part of the

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ME-9447B 012-13471A Introduction

String Tie fit into the rectangular holes in the recess. Align the short legs with the shallow notches. Insert one
leg into one of the rectangular holes and then press down firmly on the other side of the String Tie until the other
leg snaps into the other rectangular hole. NOTE: Press firmly. When the String Tie is correctly inserted, the top
surface of the clear plastic disk will be flush with the surface of the Force Table.

1. Insert one leg into one 2. Press firmly to push the

of the rectangular holes. other leg into its hole.

String Tie

To remove the String Tie from the Force Table, turn the Force Table over and press the two short tabs of the
String Tie inward toward each other.

Setup

Arrange the strings over the pulleys. Attach a mass hangers to each string. NOTE: A string can be attached to a
PASCO mass hanger by wrapping the string four or five times around the notch at the top of the mass hanger.

Clamp shown with

the pulley yoke in
the lower position..

NOTE: Masses and mass

hangers are not included.

5
Super Pulley Force Table Introduction

Storage

The Force Table may be stored with or without the ME-9448B Storage recess
Super Pulley with Clamp attached. To minimize the storage space
needed for the Force Table, remove the legs by unscrewing them
from the table. Store the legs in the leg holders and storage clips that
are on the underside of the force table. The disassembled force
tables can be stacked on top of each other. The three stacking pegs
on the underside of one Force Table fit into the storage recesses on
the top surface of a second Force Table to eliminate slipping.

Stacking peg

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 Vector Addition

Vector Addition

Equipment Needed Equipment Needed

Super Pulley Force Table (ME-9447B) String (spool of thread)

Super Pulley Table Clamp (ME-9448B) Protractor

Mass and Hanger Set (ME-8979) Metric Ruler

Mass Balance (SE-8723) Sheet of paper (2)

Purpose

The purpose of this experiment is to use the force table to experimentally determine the force that balances two
other forces. This result is checked by adding the two forces using their horizontal and vertical vector components,
and by graphically adding the force vectors.

Theory

This experiment finds the resultant of adding two vectors by three methods: experimentally, by adding compo-
nents, and graphically

NOTE: In all cases, the force caused by the mass hanging over the pulley is found by multiplying the mass by the
acceleration due to gravity, 9.8 m/s2.

Experimental Method

Two forces are applied on the force table by handing masses over pulleys position at certain angles. Next, the
angle and amount of mass hanging over the third pulley are adjusted until the force from this pulley balances the
forces from the other two pulleys. The third force is called the equilibriant (FE) because it is the force that estab-
lishes equilibrium. The equilibriant is not the same as the resultant (FR). The resultant is the addition of the two
forces. The equilibriant has the same magnitude as the resultant, but it is in the opposite direction of the resultant
because it must balance the resultant. The equilibriant is the negative of the resultant.
FE = FR = FA + FB

FR
FB

FA
FE

Setup

1. Assemble the force table as shown in the Assembly section. Use three super pulley clamps (two for the
forces that will be added and one for the force that balances the sum of the other two forces).

2. Arrange the strings from the String Tie over the pulleys.

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 3. Hang the following masses over two of the super pulleys and clamp the pulleys at the given angles.

Table 1.1:

Force Mass Angle

FA 50 g (0.050 kg) 0

FB 100 g (0.100 kg) 120

FE

Procedure (Experimental Method)

By trial and error, find the angle for the third super pulley clamp and the mass that must be suspended over the pul-
ley so that its weight will balance the forces exerted on the strings by the other two masses. This third force is
called the equilibriant (FE) because it establishes equilibrium. The equilibriant is the negative of the resultant.

Record the mass and angle for the third pulley to put the system into equilibrium into Table 1.1.

To test whether the system is in equilibrium, use the following criteria.

Method of Finding Equilibrium

The clear disk will be centered in the String Tie when the system is in equilibrium. Pull the clear disk slightly to
one side and let it go. Check to see that the disk returns to the center. If not, adjust the mass and/or the angle of the
super pulley clamp until the disk always returns to the center when pulled slightly to one side.

Analysis

To theoretically determine what mass should be suspended over the third pulley, and at what angle, calculate the
magnitude and direction of the resultant by the component method and the graphical method. The equilibriant
(FE) will have the same magnitude, but it will be opposite in direction. In other words, the direction will be 180
from the direction of the resultant.

Component Method

On a separate sheet of paper, add the vector components of Force A and Force B to determine the magnitude of the
equilibriant. Record the components Rx and Ry in Table 1.2. Use trigonometry to find the direction of the equilib-
riant (remember, the equilibriant is exactly opposite in direction to the resultant.) Record the results in Table 1.2.

Graphical Method

On a separate sheet of paper, construct a tail-to-head diagram of the vectors of Force A and Force B. Use a metric
ruler and protractor to measure the magnitude and direction of the resultant. Record the results in Table 1.2.
Remember to record the direction of the equilibriant as opposite in direction to the resultant..

Table 1.2:

Equilibriant (FE)

Method Magnitude Direction

Experimental

Component

Graphical

Rx = ______________ Ry = ______________

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Question

How do the theoretical values for the magnitude and direction of the equilibriant compare to the actual magnitude
and direction?

9
10
Appendix

The protractor on this page is a version of the degree scale on the top surface of the Force Table. It can be dupli-
cated, trimmed, and used as an overlay on the Force Table for drawing and tracing the string positions.

190 180 170

200
21 160
0 0
15
22 0
0 14

0
23

13
0
24

0
12
0

180
200
160
250

22

110
0
0 14
24

0
12
0
260

100
260

100
270

90
280

80
280

80
30

60
0
290

32

70
0 40
340 20
0
30

60
0
31

50
0

32
0 40
33
0 30
340 20
350 0 10

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Technical Support
For assistance with any PASCO product, contact PASCO at:

Address: PASCO scientific

10101 Foothills Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95747-7100
Phone: 916-786-3800 (worldwide)
800-772-8700 (U.S.)
Fax: (916) 786-7565
Web: www.pasco.com
Email: support@pasco.com

For the latest revision of this Instruction Manual, visit the PASCO web site at www.pasco.com and enter ME-9447B
into the Search window.

Limited Warranty For a description of the product warranty, see the PASCO catalog. Copyright The PASCO scientific
012-13471A Super Pulley Force Table Instruction Manual is copyrighted with all rights reserved. Permission is granted to non-profit
educational institutions for reproduction of any part of this manual, providing the reproductions are used only in their laboratories and
classrooms, and are not sold for profit. Reproduction under any other circumstances, without the written consent of PASCO scientific,
is prohibited. Trademarks PASCO and PASCO scientific are trademarks or registered trademarks of PASCO scientific, in the
United States and/or in other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of,
and are used to identify, products or services of, their respective owners. For more information visit www.pasco.com/legal.

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