A student investigates moments of forces - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2021 - Paper 1

To find the force, we use the formula for moments:

$\text{Moment} = \text{Force} \times \text{Distance}$

With the distances provided, we can set up the equation as follows:

$\text{(Force)} \times 12 = 0.050 \times 8.4$

Rearranging gives:

$\text{Force} = \frac{0.050 \times 8.4}{12}$

Calculating this yields:

$\text{Force} = 0.035 \text{ N}$

The student could improve the investigation by:

1. Measuring the value of the current.
2. Varying the current to observe changes in force.
3. Restoring equilibrium after making adjustments.
4. Calculating the ratios for force and current to check for proportional relationships.

The student could move the 0.050 N weight to the other side of the pivot, ensuring it's positioned 3.6 cm from the magnet. Alternatively, they could adjust the mass of the modelling clay by removing some amount to balance the moments.