Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A uniform metre scale has a mass that we do not know. A g mass hangs from the cm mark. The scale balances on a knife edge at the cm mark. Find . Then the g mass is taken off, and an unknown body hangs from the cm mark. The scale now balances at the cm mark. Find the mass of the body.
For a simple pendulum , so , and the graph of against has the slope . Moments about a knife edge balance: clockwise moments equal anticlockwise moments. A uniform metre scale has its centre of gravity at the cm mark.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. The centre of gravity of the scale is at cm.
Step 1. The first balance. The knife edge is at cm. The g mass is cm to the left. The centre of the scale is cm to the right. Moments: . We want , so g.
Step 2. The second balance. The knife edge is at cm. The body is cm to the right. The centre of the scale is cm to the left. Moments: . So g.
Answer: g and g.
Check. The body is lighter than the scale, and it hangs farther from the knife edge. It fits.
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