How did Cavendish calculate the gravitational constant?
Cavendish placed the apparatus in a sealed room designed so he could move the weights from outside. He observed the balance with a telescope. By measuring how far the rod moved from side to side and how long that motion took, Cavendish could determine the gravitational force between the larger and smaller weights.
Why did Cavendish claim that he weighed the Earth with his experiment?
Measuring the mass of the earth Because he knew how much force the Earth would exert on an apple and he knew the size of the Earth (which is r in this equation — for spheres you have to measure to the center of the sphere, not the edge), Cavendish had most of the variables in the gravitational law pinned down.
How did Cavendish find the density of the Earth?
The method Cavendish used to calculate the Earth’s density consists in measuring the force on a small ball caused by a large ball of known mass, and comparing it with the force on the small ball caused by the Earth, so the Earth can be calculated to be N times more massive than the large ball without the need to obtain …
How did they calculate the gravitational constant?
Cavendish experiment …of the value of the gravitational constant, G. In Newton’s law of universal gravitation, the attractive force between two objects (F) is equal to G times the product of their masses (m1m2) divided by the square of the distance between them (r2); that is, F = Gm1m2/r2.
How did the Cavendish experiment work?
The Cavendish Experiment is a clever way to measure the Gravitational Constant that is stated in the Universal Gravitation Equation. This experiment used a torsion balance device to attract lead balls together, measuring the torque on a wire and equating it to the gravitational force between the balls.
What is Henry Cavendish known for?
Henry Cavendish (1731-1810) was an outstanding chemist and physicist. Although he was not a major figure in the history of respiratory physiology he made important discoveries concerning hydrogen, carbon dioxide, atmospheric air, and water.
What happens in the Cavendish experiment?
What did Cavendish discover?
Hydrogen
Henry Cavendish/Discovered
Henry Cavendish was a British philosopher, scientist, chemist and physicist. He is best known for his discovery of hydrogen or ‘inflammable air’, the density of air and the discovery of Earth’s mass.
How does the Cavendish experiment work?
What was Henry Cavendish experiment?
The Cavendish experiment, performed in 1797–1798 by English scientist Henry Cavendish, was the first experiment to measure the force of gravity between masses in the laboratory and the first to yield accurate values for the gravitational constant.
How did the Cavendish experiment determine the gravitational constant?
Because his experiment ultimately determined the value for G, Cavendish has been often incorrectly given credit for determining the gravitational constant. The Cavendish experiment uses a torsion balance to measure the weak gravitational force between lead balls.
How did Henry Cavendish determine the density of the Earth?
Henry Cavendish’s experiments determining the density of the Earth were published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1798. His method, following a procedure obtained from his friend John Michell, consisted of using a torsional spring to find the gravitational force between lead spheres smaller than 1 foot in diameter.
How is a torsion balance used in the Cavendish experiment?
The Cavendish experiment uses a torsion balance to measure the weak gravitational force between lead balls. A torsion balance consists of a bar suspended at its middle by a thin wire or fiber.
How big was the sphere in the Cavendish experiment?
The apparatus featured a torsion balance: a wooden rod was suspended freely from a thin wire, and a lead sphere weighing 0.73 kg (1.6 pounds) hung from each end of the rod. A much larger sphere, weighing 158 kg (348 pounds), was placed at each end of the torsion balance.