Physics 205A:

Lab II Write-Up
Influences on the Period of the Pendulum
Group 13B Members: D. Broglie- Coordinator, writer
E. Lex Tron- Recorder, data analyzer
O. M. Law- Skeptic, proofreader

Lab performed: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2001

Abstract: The purpose of this lab is to test variables which may affect the period of a
pendulum such as length, mass, and the angle, and record them. The lab will be
done using materials such as string, weights, a metric ruler, and a protractor.
Different weights, different length strings, and releasing the pendulum at different
angles will be tested to see if they affect the period of the pendulum, and our
hypothesis is that they will. The results show that our hypotheses were correct
and that the period was increased by the increase of weight, the increase of string
length, and the increase of the angle at which the pendulum was released.

Introduction: A pendulum is a mass that swings back and forth on the end of a string or
rigid arm, and the period is the amount of time it takes to go back and forth once.
- Objective: To determine which factors influence the period of a pendulum and
which ones do not.
- Hypothesis:
I. As the mass of a weight increases, the period increases.
II. As the length of the string increases, the period increases.
III. As the angle (when considering the origin is at the bottom of the pendulum) of
the position where the weight is dropped increases, the period increases.
IV. Gravity and the air resistance do not affect the period of the pendulum.
- Reasoning:
i. If the mass of a weight increases, the acceleration decreases, and it would take
ii. If the length of the string increases, then there is more space the pendulum has
to cover.
iii. If the angle of the position, where the weight is dropped, increases, then there
also is more space that the pendulum has to cover.
iv. Gravity is constant and the air resistance is negligible. These are unable to be
changed, so it does not influence the period of the pendulum.
Several things were learned from this lab, including knowledge of how the
pendulum works, knowledge of which factors affect the period of the
pendulum and which factors that dont, and making a precise calculation of
the error associated with timing the periods.

Materials used: - Metric ruler

- 3 different masses of weights (50g, 100g, and 200g)
- 3 different strings in length (20cm, 40,cm and 60cm)
- Timer
- Protractor
- Books
Procedure:
1. To set up a model of the pendulum, we used couple books to hold the top of
the string with a weight at the bottom end of the string.
2. We used 50g weight, 40cm string, and angle of 60 degree as the basic
materials, and we measured the period of the pendulum for three trials to
figure out whether the gravity affects the period.
3. Using 50g weight, a protractor, and 40cm string, the pendulum is dropped at
angles of 30 degree, 60 degree, and 90 degree, considering the very bottom of
the string as the origin. We did three trials for each angles and measured the
period of the pendulum.
4. Using 40cm string at the angle of 60 degree, we measured the period of the
pendulum with 50g, 100g, and 200g weights for three trials each.
5. Using 50g at the angle of 60 degree, we measured the period of the pendulum
with 20cm, 40cm, and 60cm strings for three trials each.
6. Record data and calculate the uncertainty
Data:
Gravity
Trials

1
1.28

2
1.32

3
1.33

Different Angles (50g weight and 40cm string)

Period (s) \ Angles (degrees)
1
90
1.29
60
1.34
30
1.06

2
1.56
1.17
1.14

3 Average
1.37
1.41
1.09
1.20
1.09
1.10

Different Masses (60 degrees and 40cm string)

Weight (g) \ Period (s)
1
50
1.34
100
1.27
200
1.38

2
1.17
1.36
1.32

3 Average
1.09
1.20
1.31
1.31
1.47
1.39

Different Lengths of String (50g weight and 60 degrees)

Lengths of String (cm)\Period (s)
1
2
20
1.00
0.96
40
1.34
1.17
60
1.60
1.59

3 Average
0.96
0.97
1.09
1.20
1.71
1.63

*The calculations for the uncertainty of every time interval is + and 0.005. This is due
to the limited precision of the stopwatch being 0.00 seconds.
Graphs:

Period

Different Angles
1.80
1.60
1.40
1.20
1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00

90 degree
60 degree
30 degree
Poly. (90 degree)
Poly. (60 degree)
Poly. (30 degree)
0

# of trials

Period

Different Masses
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0

50g weight
100g weight
200g weight
Poly. (200g weight)
Poly. (100g weight)
Poly. (50g weight)
0

# of trials

*The graphs of the errors are included but are so small that it isnt noticeable on the
graphs

Different Lengths of String

20cm string
40cm string
60cm string
Poly. (40cm string)
Poly. (60cm string)
Linear (20cm string)

Period

1.5
1
0.5
0
0

# of trials

Results:
Angles (degrees)
90
60
30
Weights (g)

Average Period
1.41
1.20
0
1.10

Average Period
50
1.20
100
1.31
200
1.39

Lengths of String (cm) Average Period

20
0.97
40
1.20
60
1.63
Trials

1
1.28

2
1.32

3
1.33

Discussion: Our data does support our hypothesis. Using our determined averages in
each section, we found that the influences of the pendulum that we
anticipated were correct. As the mass of the pendulum increased, the period
of the pendulum also increased; a longer time interval. As we increased the
length of the string the pendulums period also increased. The longer the
string, the longer the time interval. And finally we changed the angles of
our release of the pendulum and found that with a higher degree of an angle
the larger the period of the pendulum; as shown in our data table.
Determining the error for the time was done by taking the digit that the
stopwatch was accurate to and dividing by two to get the +/-. We calculated

that to be +/- 0.005 -There was also error associated with measuring the
angles and the length of the strings. The error for the string was calculated
using the precision of the metric ruler: 0.1 therefore the error is equal to +/0.05 -The error for the protractor was accurate to 1 degree. The uncertainty
is calculated as +/- 0.5
Conclusion: The reason for doing the lab was to determine which of the factors we
picked would affect the period of a pendulum. We found that the pendulum
was indeed affected by the length of the string, the mass of the object
swinging, and the angle at which the pendulum was released. One thing that
the group learned from performing this lab is how to set up a pendulum and
how to measure the period of a pendulum. We also learned what factors
affected the period of the pendulum and which factors didnt. For example,
increasing the length of the string increased the period, but gravity and air
resistance were negligible and not sufficient to affect the period in any
noticeable way. The group also learned to apply what we have learned in
Excel to graph the periods and the uncertainty associated with them.