DelMar8thGradeScienceJacobKlionsky

9/24/14 Per1

GoalsTo develop the skills of a scientist

By reviewing the scientific method.

Graphing with independent variable as x axis, and dependent variable
as y axis
Introducing accuracy, reproducibility and significant figures

Problem
What affects the period of a pendulum?
Period = the time a pendulum swings back and forth once

Materials
Stand, string, washers, big paperclips, rulers, stopwatch

Hypothesis
I think that the start angle will affect the period of

a pendulum by increasing the period as the angle decreases.

Therefore, my independent variable is the angle, which it starts
at.
Independent variable = manipulated variable-what I am changing

My dependent variable is the period of the pendulum.

Dependent variable = responding variable -what I am measuring

My controlled variables are: Make sure you have an accurate

timer every time.

Controlled variables are everything I am keeping the same

Procedure (note delete this section when turning in your assignment)

1.

Decide who will be the timer, pendulum releaser and recorder. Do not
change these roles during the trials
2. Tieoneendofastringtoaclamponastand.Tietheotherendtoalarge
paperclip.Pulloutonesideofthepapercliptoserveasahook.
3. Placeametalwasheronthehook,andletithangdown.Ifnecessary,raise
theclampsothatthebobswingsfreely.
4. Recordthevaluesofyourcontrolledvariables(thevariableyouarenottesting.)
Thecontrolledvariablesarethevariablesyouarenotchangingthesecouldinclude
massofbob,lengthofpendulum,startheightofthebob

5. Releasethebobgently,withoutpushingit.Duringacompleteswing,thebob
willmovefromitsstartingpositionandbackagain.Yourpartnershouldtime
5completeswings.
6. Checkyourexperimentforaccuracy(haveyouaccuratelycountedtheswings?etc.)and
reproducibility(runthetestagaindidyougetapproximatelythesameanswer?)
7. Onceyouareconvincedyourdataisaccurateandreproducible,recordthetimefor5swings.
Thendivide thattimeby5tofindtheaveragetimeforoneswing.
8. Repeatsteps57,changingyourindependentvariable.Makesureyoudonotchangethe
valuesofyourcontrolledvariablesandmakesureyourincrementalchangeislargeenough.

StartingData
Independent Variable

Starting Value

Incremental change

Angleitstartsat

130

20

Dependent variable = the period of the pendulum (swing time)

Controlled Variables
The person keeping time

Value
Wilder

Moment they stop at the end

Right as it hits 4.5

ExperimentalData
Trial

Angle it starts at

Time of 5 swings (s)

Test 1

Test

Average time
for 5 swings (s)

The Period (s)

(Average time
for 1 swing)

130

8.89

8.87

8.88

1.776

110

9.17

9.09

9.13

1.826

90

9.69

9.59

9.64

1.928

70

8.69

8.65

8.67

1.734

50

8.58

8.46

8.52

1.704

Graph

The Effect of the Starting Angle on the Period of the Pendulum

2.5
2 1.7 1.73
1.5

Pendulum's Period (sec)

1.93

1.83
1.18

1
0.5
0
40

60

80 100 120 140

Starting Angle (deg)

Analysis
Theperiodofapendulumistheamountoftimeittakesforthependulumtoswingbackandforth
once;thisiscalledtheoscillation.Inthislabwetestedifchangingthestartingangleofthependulums
string,wouldeffecttheperiod.Ipreviouslyhypothesizedthattheperiodwouldincreasewhen
decreasingthestartingangleofthependulumsstring.Totestthiswehadtomeasurethestartingangle
ofthestringusingaprotractorthenreleasethebobandwaitfor5oscillationsbeforestoppingthetime.
Wedidthissamethingwith5differentangles.Inadditionwehadtocontrolallofthedifferent
variablesbesidestheindependentvariable(thevariablethatwechange).Tomakesurethatonlythe
independentvariablechangedwehadthesamepersonmeasurethestartingangleeverytimeandthe
samepersondeterminethatthepathofthependulumsbobwasstraightandnotbumpinginto
anything.Tomakesurethatnoothervariablesgotinvolvedthesamepersonalwaystimedtheperiod
andstoppedthetimeratthesamepointalways.Afterallofthehardwork,wefinallycameoutwithall
ofourresults.Ourresultsshowthattheperiodbothincreasedanddecreasedwhiledecreasingthe

startingangle.Whenstartingattheangleof130theperiodwas1.77seconds,thenupto1.93seconds
from90,andfinallybackdownto1.70froma50startingpoint.Thereforetherewasnoconsistent
changeoraslopetothegraph.However,2groupsdidfindaslope,buttheyweretestingthelengthof
thependulumsstringinstead.Bothofthegroupstestingthisfoundthatthelessstringthefasterthe
period,inotherwordsadecreaseinthependulumsstringlengthcausedadecreaseintheperiod.The
other4groupsfoundthatthestartingangleandtheweightofthebobhadnoconsistenteffectonthe
period.Tomakesuretheinformationwasvalid,ItesteditoutontheUniversityofColoradoswebsite
namedPHETInteractiveSimulations.Thiswebsitehadonlineversionoftheexactsamelabthatwe
performed,butthisonehadnoothervariablesmanipulatingthecalculations.Intheend,Ifoundthat
thetheoriesareclasstestedmostlyagreedwiththeonlinependulumlab.Themainreasonourdatawas
abitdifferentthanthecomputerswasbecauseofthesmallvariablesthatwecannotcontrol,butthose
extravariablesarenearlyimpossibleforhumanstoavoid.Inconclusion,theperiodofthependulum
doesnotconsistentlychangeifyoudecreasethestartingangleofthestring.