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FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
LABORATORY REPORT
TO: MR K MAKALA
NAME: SHADRECK PHIRI
REGISTRATION NUMBER: BSBS/2C/16/15
COURSE CODE: EPH 1101
COURSE TITLE: MECHANICS
ASSIGNMENT TITTLE: SPECIAL MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
DUE DATE: 5TH October 2015
TITTLE: special measuring instruments; micrometer
AIM: to find the diameter of a marble, red wire and silver wire
THEORY: special measuring instruments are used in measurement of different magnitudes with
accuracy. Micrometer is an example of such instruments which is used in measuring
small lengths. It is popularly used in measuring the diameter of thin wires and the
thickness of thin sheets. It consists of an anvil, a thimble, a spindle, barrel or sleeve, a
ratchet and the head which is the rotating scale. An object to be measured is placed
between the anvil and spindle, the thimble is turned up until the object fits snugly. it is
not required to force the turning on the thimble since the delicate threads on the
spindle located inside the thimble can be damaged, so to avoid this damage, a ratchet
helps to protect the instrument by disallowing the thimble from rotating when forced.
The barrel is graduated in millimeters, it takes two complete turns of the thimble for
the spindle to move precisely one millimeters. The rotating scale is divided into 50
divisions and each division indicates 0.01mm which is the precision of the instrument.
To find the final measurement, the number of millimeter graduations on the barrel to
the left of the head is counted and recorded, then the reading on the rotating scale that
is most nearly with the centerline on the barrel is noted and then multiplied by
0.01mm; the product is added to that of the barrel. The result is the final measurement.
METHOD: a marble was placed in between the spindle and an anvil, the thimble was rotated to
fit the object, at this point, a ratchet stop was rotated for smooth and constant fit of the
marble in between an anvil and the spindle. Measurements on the barrel were noted
and recorded. Thereafter the rotating scale readings were counted and the result was
multiplied by 0.01mm. To find the diameter of the marble, the products were added to
the measurement on the barrel.
The same procedures just like that of the marble were followed to find the diameter of
red wire and silver wire, the readings were recorded separately. To find the diameter
the readings of the barrel were added to the product of 0.01mm and the recordings of
the rotating scale.
RESULTS AND CALCULATIONS
Marble: the barrel reading = 24mm
The rotating scale reading = 20mm
The total diameter = 24 + (0.01 x 20) mm
=24.2mm
Red wire: the barrel reading = 0.5
The rotating scale reading = 32
The total diameter = 0.5 + (32 x 0.01) mm
= 0.82mm
Silver wire: the barrel reading = 0.5
The rotating scale reading = 34
Total diameter = 0.5 + (34 x 0.01) mm
= 0.84 mm
DATA
Object Barrel scale (mm) Thimble scale (mm)
Diameter (mm)
Marble 24 20 24.2
Red wire 0.5 32 0.82
Silver wire 0.5 34 0.84
CONCLUSION
According to various experiments conducted, it is better to use special measuring instruments for
accuracy. This lab helps us in knowing the diameter of thin objects and also has helped us to
know how to use micrometer with the highest degree of measurement, however, errors may
occurs during the measurement, care of the instrument was taken into consideration and
tightening was surely constant to avoid damage of the device since it contains delicate parts.
