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(3)
Full Experiment The Galvanometer Page 4
In this experimental configuration, setting P=1,000 and Q=10,000 should produce
a current flow of approximately
7
5 10
+ (c.f.
y mx c + ) where
RE
R Q
+
. Calculate and its error, and use a spreadsheet to
generate the data in a form that will be suitable for plotting.
Full Experiment The Galvanometer Page 5
[Hint: The % errors on R, E, Q are all approximately 1%. The error on R+Q is the
same as that of Q alone. Thus, we can approximate the error on as being 3%]
Use Excel and Linest to find the slope and intercept of your graph. Make sure you
only use data for which the error bars are not too large in your least squares
calculation. Use these values to determine the current sensitivity k and the value of G.
What are the uncertainties in these measurements?
[2 Marks]
Carefully look at the back of the galvanometer, and you will see a
summary of its properties when it was tested some years ago. Do your
values for the resistance and current sensitivity agree, within error, with
the quoted values?
YOU SHOULD HAVE REACHED THIS STAGE WITHIN 1 HOURS
The Torsion Pendulum and the Ballistic Galvanometer
Consider a disk suspended from a torsion wire attached to
its centre. This setup is known as a torsion pendulum. A
torsion wire is essentially inextensible, but is free to twist
about its axis. Of course, as the wire twists it also causes
the disk attached to it to rotate in the horizontal plane. Any
twisting of the wire is inevitably associated with
mechanical deformation of the wire which is resisted by
developing a restoring torque which acts to restore the
wire to its untwisted state. For small angles of twist, the
magnitude of this torque is directly proportional to the
twist angle hence we have simple harmonic motion.
The ballistic galvanometer is a galvanometer adapted to measure charge as opposed
to current. It measures the charge flowing through the system during the passage of a
transient current and is based on the ideas behind the torsion pendulum.
If the period of oscillation is long in comparison with the transient current; the
electromagnetic pulse created in the coil acts as the impulse to start the coil
oscillating. The angular displacement, is directly related to the charge, Q. The
galvanometer you are using has been selected because the coil has a high moment of
inertia which results in a long oscillation period.
However, because of effects of air-resistance and other resistive effects within the
coil, these oscillations will be damped, and the coil will eventually come to rest at the
equilibrium point.
Full Experiment The Galvanometer Page 6
Measuring the Period of Oscillations
Rebuild your circuit so that the following is realised:
This time the potential divider P and S provides a voltage to charge a standard
capacitor, C. This capacitor can be discharged into the galvanometer using the Morse
key.
The amount of charge, Q, discharged is simply given by Q VC with the voltage
dropped across the capacitor, V, given by the potential divider P and S. Thus we have
that the charge is given by:
( )
P
Q EC
P S
+
(5)
This instantaneous current (charge pulse) provides the impulse to set the
galvanometer into oscillations. The coil begins to swing, but because of damping it
will not reach its maximum deflection a
0
. Instead it is deflected to a
1
on the first
swing, a
2
on the second and so on at the following times:
1 2 3
3 5
4 4 4
T T T
t
d a a a
(6)
The amplitude of the swings is being damped by an exponential which, as a function
of time, t, has the following form:
( ) exp A t (7)
with the damping term. It follows then that the ratio of successive amplitudes is
related to the period of oscillation, T, and is given by:
( )
3 1 2
2 3 4
exp
2
a a a
T
a a a
(8)
Full Experiment The Galvanometer Page 7
where
( )
2
2
BAn
IX
. B is the flux density of the magnetic field in which the coil
sits, A is the area of the coil and n is the number of turns of wire in the coil. T is the
period of the oscillations and X the total resistance of the galvanometer circuit.
The maximum deflection, which would be achieved in the absence of any damping, is
given by a
0
. It is found as follows (using equation (8)):
( ) ( )
1
2
0 1
1 2
exp exp
4 2
a a
T T
a a
1
1
]
1
0 1
2
a
a a
a
(9)
The Charge sensitivity can be defined as the maximum amplitude divided by the
charge. Therefore from equation (5) we can write:
( )
0
0
P S
a
K a
Q ECP
+
OR
( )
0
ECP
a K
P S
+
(10)
Task 5:
Make ( ) P S + a simple multiple of E (say 1000 E ) and keep it constant. Set the
capacitor to 0.5F. For a range of values of P (keeping P+S fixed) measure the
deflections a
1
and a
2
. Use an excel spreadsheet to calculate a
0
and its error for each
value of P. From the graph of a
0
against P find the slope and its error and hence
obtain a value for K and its error. Compare your answer with the calibrated value on
the back of the galvanometer.
[Hint: The expression to calculate a
0
can be re-written as
3
2
1
2
1
0
2
a
a
a
. The error on a
0
can therefore be expressed as:
0 1 2
2 2 2
0 1 2
9 1
4 4
a a a
a a a
_ _ _
+
, , ,
. The oscillations can be
stopped by shorting the galvanometer by pressing the switch when the oscillation pass
the equilibrium point] [2 Marks]
What limits your precision K? Can you think of ways of
improving your experiment?
YOU SHOULD HAVE REACHED THIS STAGE WITHIN 2 HOURS
Full Experiment The Galvanometer Page 8
5. Exploration: Measuring the Period and relating k and K
It can be shown that the charge and current sensitivities are related through the period
of the galvanometer:
2
k
K
T
(11)
Use a stop-watch and measure the period of the galvanometer, and from it the ratio
2
T
+
. As an alternative, measure the charge
sensitivity by keeping P, S and E fixed and measuring a
0
as a function of capacitance,
C. Use the variable capacitor and investigate the deflection of the beam as C is varied
from 0.1 to 1F. Do your two values of K agree?
6. To conclude
You will find information on galvanometers in Tipler, and most undergraduate text
books. Damped oscillations appeared as part of the Wave Phenomena course.
For your extended report You should give a full account of the phenomena
described in this experiment. You should concentrate on providing more background
information about galvanometers. Make sure that your graphs are presented clearly,
and that all error propagations are carefully explained. Compare your experimentally
determined values with those on the back of the galvanometer. Discuss any systematic
errors and describe any possible sources of error in your experiment and how you
could improve the precision of your measurements.