Experiment I

Title : Determination of the acceleration due to gravity by means of a simple pendulum. : To determine the acceleration due to gravity using a simple pendulum. : Please refer to pages 16 and 17 of the lab manual. : Time for 20 oscillations (s) 1 22.15 25.70 29.36 30.90 33.68 35.50 37.93 2 22.41 25.90 28.57 31.08 33.17 35.51 36.64 Mean 22.28 25.80 28.97 30.99 33.43 35.51 37.29 Time for 1 oscillation (Periodic Time) T (s) 1.11 1.29 1.45 1.55 1.67 1.78 1.86 ( )

Objective Procedure Data and analysis Length of pendulum (m) 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90

1.23 1.66 2.10 2.40 2.79 3.17 3.46

Discussion

1. From the graph vs. , the longer the length of the pendulum, the longer the period of oscillations. 2. The period of oscillation is dependent on gravitational force and the length of the pendulum. Conclusion :

From the experiment, the acceleration of the pendulum due to gravity is (9.8 0.183) m/s.

Questions

1. a. The advantages of measuring several periods of oscillations and determining the average period are to increase the accuracy of the period measurements and to ensure b. If a very large number of periods were timed, the results would be affected by the pendulum having a gradually decreasing period for each oscillation. This happens because of air friction which gradually reduces the amplitude of the pendulum swings.

2. The periodic time is not dependent on the mass of the bob and the amplitude of the swing. This is because the period of oscillation of the pendulum is only dependent on its length and gravitational force. These can be verified experimentally by