PHYSICS ACTIVITY FILE for class 11
Write 5 Activities given in this PDF File in a separate NEW Practical Hard Bound (One side
plane and One side ruled) A4 sized Practical Notebook.
All activities to be written by hand, headings maybe underlined and written with black pen.
All images to be drawn with PENCIL on plane side paper along the relevant headings.
Use the sample index given below to write complete name of activity along with given
dates.
INDEX
[Link]. ACTIVITY DATE SIGN
1 To study the conservation of energy of a ball rolling
down an inclined plane (using a double inclined 10/01/2023
plane)
2 To observe the change of state and plot a cooling 12/01/2023
curve for molten wax.
3 To determine the mass of a given body using a metre 14/01/2023
scale by the principle of moments.
4 To study the variation in the range of a jet of water 16/01/2023
with the change in the angle of projection.
5 To demonstrate Bernoulli’s theorem with simple 18/01/2023
illustrations
ACTIVITY No. 1
AIM: To study the conservation of energy of a ball rolling down an inclined plane (using a
double inclined plane).
APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED:
A double inclined plane having hard surface, (for guided motion of the ball on the double
inclined plane it is suggested that an aluminium channel or rails of two steel wires be used for
it), a steel ball of about 2.5 cm diameter, two wooden blocks, spirit level, tissue paper or
cotton, and a half metre scale
PRINCIPLE:
The law of conservation of energy states that ‘energy can neither be created nor destroyed but
can only be changed from one form to another’. For a mechanical system, viz., the rolling of
a steel ball on a perfectly smooth inclined plane, the energy of ball remains in the form of its
kinetic and potential energies and during the course of motion, a continuous transformation
between these energies takes place. The sum of its kinetic and potential energies remains
constant provided there is no dissipation of energy due to air resistance, friction etc.
In this experiment, the law of conservation of energy is illustrated by the motion of a steel
ball rolling on a double inclined plane. A steel ball rolling on a hard surface of inclined plane
is an example of motion with low friction. When the ball is released from point A on inclined
plane AO, it will roll down the slope and go up the opposite side on the plane OB to about the
same height h from which it was released. If the angle of the slope on right hand plane is
changed, the ball will still move till it reaches the same vertical height from which it was
released.
At point of release, A, say on the right-hand inclined plane, the steel ball possesses only
potential energy that is proportional to the vertical height, h, of the point of release and has a
zero kinetic energy. This potential energy transfers completely into kinetic energy when the
steel ball rolls down to the lowest point O on the double inclined plane. It then starts rolling
up on the second inclined plane during which its kinetic energy changes into potential energy.
At point B where it stops on the left-hand inclined plane OB, it again has only potential
energy and zero kinetic energy. The law of conservation of mechanical energy can be verified
by the equality of two vertical heights AA′ and BB′.
RESULT:
It is observed that initial vertical height and final vertical height upto which the ball rolls up
are approximately same. Thus, the rolling steel ball has same initial and final potential
energies, though during the motion, the form of energy changes. The total mechanical energy
(sum of kinetic and potential energies) remains same. This is the verification of law of
conservation of energy.
PRECAUTIONS:
1. Steel balls and inclined planes must be cleaned properly with cotton/tissue paper.
2. Both wings of the inclined plane must lie in the same vertical plane.
3. Both the planes must be stable and should not have any movement due to rolling of the ball
or otherwise.
4. The position of the ball at the highest point while climbing up the plane must be noted
quickly and carefully.
SOURCES OF ERROR:
1. Some energy is always lost due to friction.
2. Due to lack of continuity at junction of two inclined planes, rolling ball usually suffers a
collision with second plane and hence results in some loss of energy.
ACTIVITY No. 2
AIM: To observe the change of state and plot a cooling curve for molten wax.
APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED:
A 500 mL beaker, tripod stand, wire gauge, clamp stand, hard glass boiling tube, Celsius
thermometer of least count 0.5 °C, a stop-watch/ stop-clock, burner, paraffin wax, cork with a
hole to fit the boiling tube and hold a thermometer vertically.
PRINCIPLE:
Matter exists in three states – solid, liquid and gas. On heating a solid expands and its
temperature increases. If we continue to heat the solid, it changes its state. The process of
conversion of solid to a liquid state is called melting. The temperature at which the change
takes place is called melting point.
Melting does not take place instantaneously throughout the bulk of a solid, the temperature of
solid-liquid remains constant till the whole solid changes into liquid. The time for melting
depends upon the nature and mass of solid. A liquid when cooled freezes to solid state at the
same temperature as its melting point. In this case also the temperature of liquid-solid
remains constant till all the liquid solidifies. Paraffin wax is widely used in daily life.
We can determine the melting point of wax by plotting a cooling curve. The temperature of
molten wax is recorded at equal intervals of time. First the temperature of wax falls with time
then becomes constant at TM, the melting point, when it solidifies. On further cooling the
temperature of solid wax falls to room temperature TR as shown in Fig.
RESULT:
The cooling curve of molten wax is shown in the graph.
PRECAUTIONS:
1. The boiling tube with wax should never be heated directly on a flame.
2. The stop clock should be placed on the right-hand side of the apparatus as it may be easy to
see.
3. Wax should not be heated more than 20°C above its melting point.
SOURCES OF ERROR:
1. Simultaneous recording of temperature and time may give rise to some errors.
ACTIVITY No. 3
AIM: To determine the mass of a given body using a metre scale by the principle of
moments.
APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED:
A wooden metre scale of uniform thickness (a wooden strip of one metre length having
uniform thickness and width can also be used); load of unknown mass, wooden or metal
wedge with sharp edge, weight box, thread (nearly 30 cm long), a spirit level, and a raised
platform of about 20 cm height (such as a wooden or metal block).
PRINCIPLE:
For a body free to rotate about a fixed axis, in equilibrium, the sum of the clockwise moments
is equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments. If M1 is the known mass, suspended at a
distance l1 on one side from the centre of gravity of a beam and M2 is the unknown mass,
suspended at a distance l2 on the other side from the centre of gravity, and the beam is in
equilibrium,
then M2 l2 = M1 l1
In balanced position of the metre scale, moment of the force on one side of the wedge will be
equal to the moment of the force on the other side.
RESULT:
Mass of various objects was determined and verified with standard spring balance.
PRECAUTIONS:
1. Wedge should be sharp and always perpendicular to the length of the scale.
2. Thread loops should be perpendicular to the length of the scale.
3. Thread used for loops should be thin, light and strong.
4. Air currents should be minimised.
SOURCES OF ERROR:
1. Mass per unit length may not be uniform along the length of the metre scale due to
variation in its thickness and width.
2. The line marked on the scale may not be exactly over the wedge while balancing the
weights in subsequent settings.
3. The thread of the loops may not be parallel to the wedge when the weights are balanced,
which in turn would introduce some error in measurement of weight-arm.
4. It may be difficult to adjudge balance position of the scale exactly. A tilt of even of the
order of 1° may affect the measurement of mass of the load.
ACTIVITY No. 4
AIM: To study the variation in the range of a jet of water with the change in the angle of
projection.
APPARATUS AND MATERIAL REQUIRED:
PVC or rubber pipe, a nozzle, source of water under pressure (i.e., a tap connected to an
overhead water tank or water supply line), a measuring tape, large size protractor.
PRINCIPLE:
Setup for studying the variation in the range of a jet of water with the angle of projection
RESULT:
The range of jet of water varies with the angle of projection as shown in Figure below.
PRECAUTIONS:
1. There should not be any leakage in the pipe and the pressure with which water is released
from the jet should not vary during the experiment.
2. The jet of water does not strike the ground at a point but gets spread over a small area. The
centre of this area should be considered for measurement of the range.
3. The nozzle should be small so as to get a thin stream of water.
SOURCES OF ERROR:
1. The pressure of water and hence the projection velocity of water may not remain constant,
particularly if there is leakage in the pipe.
2. The markings on the protractor may not be accurate or uniform.
ACTIVITY No. 5
AIM: To demonstrate Bernoulli’s theorem with simple illustrations
Applications of Bernoulli’s Theorem:
1. Suspend two simple pendulums from a horizontal rod clamped to a laboratory stand.
Use paper balls or table tennis balls as bobs. Their bobs should be close to each other
and at the same height but not touching each other. Ask the students what would
happen if you strongly blow into the space between the bobs. A person/ student not
thinking in terms of Bernoulli’s theorem would conclude that air pushed into this
space will push the bobs away from each other. Now blow air between the two bobs
suspended close to each other and ask them to observe what happens. The speed of air
passing between them gets increased due to less space available and so the pressure
there, gets decreased. Thus, the pressure of air on their outer faces of the bobs pushes
them closer. That is why one observes the bobs to actually move closer.
2. Place a sheet of paper supported by two books in the form of a bridge. Let the books
be slightly converging i.e., their separation is larger on the side facing you. Now, you
blow under the `bridge’, the paper `bridge’ is pushed down
3. Hold the shorter edge of a sheet of paper horizontally, so that its length curves down
by its weight. If you press down lightly on the horizontal part of the curve with your
finger the paper curves down more. Now, instead of touching with the hand hold the
horizontal edge of the sheet of paper close to your mouth. Blow over the paper along
the horizontal. Does the hanging sheet of paper get pushed down or lifts up?
The curved shape of paper makes the tubes of flow of the wind narrower as the wind
moves ahead as shown in figure
Thereby its speed increases and pressure on the upper side of the paper decreases.
4. Fill coloured water in an insecticide/pesticide spray pump. Spray the water on a white
sheet of paper. Coloured drops deposit on the paper. It is evident that water from the
tank rises up in the tube attached to it and is then forced ahead in the form of tiny
droplets. But what makes it rise up in the tube? As the pump forces air out of a fine
hole, the speed of air in the region immediately above the open end of the tube in the
tank becomes high. Thus, the pressure of air in the region is lower than the
surrounding still air (which is equal to atmospheric pressure). Right in this region, just
below the hole in the pump is the upper end of the fine tube through which water rises
up, due to atmospheric pressure acting on the surface of water outside the tube.
5. Figure shows the construction of a Bunsen burner. The fuel gas issues out of the jet J
in the centre of the vertical tube. Due to the high speed of gas, its pressure gets
lowered. So, through a wide opening in the side of the vertical tube air rushes in,
mixes up with fuel gas and the gas burns with a hot and blue flame. If the air does not
get mixed with fuel gas at this stage and comes into contact with it only at the flame
level, the flame will be bright yellow-orange like that of a candle, due to incomplete
combustion of the gas which gives off comparatively less heat than when it burns with
a blue flame.
