EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF DAMPED OSCILLATIONS OF A TORSIONAL PENDULUM
A laboratory work methodic on the experimental study of damping torsion oscillations under educational laboratory conditions was developed in this article. A torsion pendulum, which is usually used for bullet flight speed experimental determination based on angular momentum, mechanical energy conservation laws, and the laws of natural oscillations patterns, was used for this purpose. A torsion pendulum is a rod suspended on a vertically stretched steel wire and capable of performing oscillatory motion in the horizontal plane. Two rectangle shaped bodies are attached at the rod's ends, also two identical cylindrical weights that can be moved, changing the inertia moment of the pendulum, and locked in a chosen position, are arranged on the steel rod. Damping parameter dependencies are studied: the damping coefficient, damping logarithmic decrement, relaxation time, amount of oscillations during relaxation and the mechanical system quality factor against pendulum inertia moment. The least squares method was used in the processing of the experimental results. The results from this experimental study prove theoretical dependencies fidelity. The method used in this study may be recommended for physical practicum at universities when there is not a finished installation for the damping of torsional oscillations.