Model solution to an experiment 1

1st December 2013

The simple gravitation pendulum

Aim: To determine the acceleration due to gravity using a simple pendulum.

List of apparatus and setup

Wooden
blocks

String L
Retort
stand

Bob

Additional equipment: Stopwatch and metre rule.

Procedure

1. The apparatus was set up as shown in the diagram.

2. The distance L from the bottom of the wooden blocks to the upper part of the
bob was set to 30 cm and its value was record.
3. The time taken by the pendulum to perform twenty oscillations 20 t1 was
measured using a stopwatch.
4. Step 3 was repeated in order to obtain a repeated reading.
5. Steps 2 to 4 were repeated each time increasing the length L by 10 cm until a
total of five readings were obtained.
6. The periodic time T was calculated for each length.
7. The data was tabulated.
8. A graph of T 2 against L was plotted.

Errors

- Air resistance was ignored.

- Difficulty in determining when the bob is at the maximum amplitude.
- Human time reflex action.
- Oscillations might not have been sufficiently small and planar.
- The string might have slipped from between the blocks.

Precautions

- Repeated readings were taken.

- The oscillations were as small and as planar as possible.
- The time for twenty oscillations was measured and then this was divided by
twenty to determine the periodic time.

Physics foundation courses P.S. Farrugia

Model solution to an experiment 2

- The timing was carried out from a position that was perpendicular to the point
where the bob reaches the maximum amplitude in order to be in a better
position to assess when the bob is at this position.
- Care was taken to ensure that the wooden blocks where aligned.

Results

L/m t /s
20 1 t /s
20 2 20 t /s T /s T 2 / s2

0.001 0.1 0.1

0.300 22.2 22.2 22.20 1.110 1.23

0.400 25.2 25.3 25.25 1.263 1.59

0.500 28.3 28.2 28.25 1.413 2.00

0.600 31.2 31.2 31.20 1.560 2.43

0.700 34.0 34.1 34.05 1.703 2.90

Calculations

Squaring both sides, opening the equation up and equating it to Y  MX  C gives,

4 2 L 4 2 r
T2  
g g
y  mx  c

4 2 4 2 r
giving y  T 2 , x  L , gradient m  and the intercept c  . We can thus see
g g
that the acceleration due to gravity g can be determined from the gradient.

Two points that lie on the straight line graph are (0.325,1.300) and (0.67,2.74). Thus
the gradient can be found as,

y 0.325 s 2  1.300 s 2
Gradient    4.174 s 2 m 1.
x 0.670 m  2.740 m

Thus the acceleration due to gravity can be found as,

4 2 4 2
g  2 1
 9.46 m s 2 Ans.
Gradient 4.174 s m

Physics foundation courses P.S. Farrugia

 Model solution to an experiment 3

2 2 2 2
T /s Graph of T / s vs L / m
3.100
3.025
2.950
2.875
2.800
(0.670,2.740)
2.725
2.650
2.575
2.500
2.425
2.350
2.275
2.200
2.125
2.050
1.975
1.900
1.825
1.750
1.675
1.600
1.525
1.450
1.375 (0.325,1.300)

1.300
1.225
1.150
1.075
1.000
0.525
0.550
0.575
0.600
0.625
0.650
0.675
0.700
0.725
0.750
0.300
0.325
0.350
0.375
0.400
0.425
0.450
0.475
0.500

L /m

Physics foundation courses P.S. Farrugia

Model solution to an experiment 4

Conclusion

The acceleration due to gravity was found to be 9.46 m s 2 .

The quoted value for the acceleration due to gravity is 9.81 m s 2 . Hence the value
obtained in this experiment is very close to the one expected.

Physics foundation courses P.S. Farrugia