Cavendish Experiment: Significance of Balls

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The discussion centers on the significance of using both large and small balls in the Cavendish experiment. It highlights that larger balls could generate more force and deflection, potentially increasing measurement precision. However, the smaller balls are likely used due to their lower inertia, making it easier to detect subtle gravitational effects. The design constraints of the precision torsion balance also limit the size of the balls that can be effectively utilized. Overall, the combination of ball sizes is crucial for the experiment's accuracy and feasibility.
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I read an article about the Cavendish experiment in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish_experiment

and I feel I understood all relevant aspects.

However, what is the significance of having a pair of big and small balls?

Having 4 big balls would create more force (F) thus creating more deflection in the wire and making the experiment more precise by having a bigger angle to measure.

Am I mistaken?

Is one pair of balls small because they have less inertia to start moving?
 
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I believe the reason the small balls are small is because they are connected to a precision torsion balance and it's tough to make such a thing that will support support a few hundred pounds of lead. Simple as that.
 
Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .
TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...

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