A student wants to investigate how the readings of a beam balance and a spring…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Fields and their consequences · Fields and their consequences
Problem
A student wants to investigate how the readings of a beam balance and a spring balance are affected when they are moved from the equator to the poles. She uses a sealed 1kg standard mass and notes the following data:
• Acceleration due to gravity at the equator: ge=9.78ms−2
• Acceleration due to gravity at the poles: gp=9.83ms−2
(i) If the standard mass is placed on one pan of a beam balance at the equator and then at the poles, what value will the beam balance show in each case? Explain your answer briefly.
(ii) Calculate the reading (in newtons) that a spring balance calibrated on Earth would show for the standard mass (a) at the equator and (b) at the poles.
(iii) Show that the ratio of the two spring-balance readings is equal to the ratio gp:ge. State clearly the steps of your working.
(iv) Based on your calculations, justify which of the two instruments is more suitable for comparing masses at different places on Earth.