Internal Assessment Cover Sheet

Group 4 (Experimental Sciences)

Physics

Subject
Student Name

Teacher Name

AleksandraGouchowska

MagorzataKuakowska

Title of Investigation
Experimentaldeterminationoftheaccelerationofgravityusingasimplependulum

Short Description of Investigation

Asimplependulumisusedtodeterminethevalueofaccelerationoffreefall(g).

Level:

Higher Level

Standard Level

Topic

Time Spent (in hours):

SimplePendulum

CRITERIA A SS ESSED

Personal
Exploration
engagement

Analysis

Evaluation

Communication

Total

2 (8%)

6 (25%)

6 (25%)

6 (25%)

4 (17%)

24

Introduction
A simple pendulum is one with small point mass suspended by a weightless string. If it is
displaced from its equilibrium position for a small angle ( < 10) then the pendulum will
perform simple harmonic montion (SHM). I will measure the time period of the pendulum for
various lengths of string to find acceleration of free fall. This is the acceleration of a falling
object when only the gravitational pull of the Earth acts on it. The value of g is 9.8(1) m/s

Research question

Hypothesis

Variables
1. Independent variable length of the pendulum - L (m)
2. Dependent variable - period of the SHM - T (s)
3. Controlled variable mass of the bob (m), angular displacement of the pendulum -

Control of variables
1. The same person was measuring the time not to add additional errors to the
measurement
2. The same angle for every measurement
3. The same pendulum bob with the same mass

Equipment

stand and clamp

cotton thread (~1.1m)
rubber stopper with hole to fit the thread
lead pendulum bob
stopwatch
metre rule
protractor

Design
I pass the cotton thread through the hole of the rubber stopper, secure the rubber stopper with
the clamp and position the pendulum so that is it overhanging the bench. I adjust the length of
the pendulum so that the length of the pendulum is 1m. Then, I give small displacement to the
pendulum and measure the time it takes for the pendulum to complete 20 full oscillations. I
repeat this proccess five times for every length of the pendulum 1m, 0.90m, 0.80m, 0.70m,
0.60m

Method of measurements
I measure the pendulum with a metre rule from the point where the thread comes out
of the rubber stopper up to the centre of the pendulum bob. I use a protractor to ensure that
the angular displacement is less than 10 I measure the time it takes for the pendulum to
complete 20 full oscillations using a stopwatch. The period of harmonic motion is
T =2

L
g

Raw Data
Table1.PendulumlengthTimefor20fulloscillations

No.

Pendulum length, L/m

0,01

1.

Time for 20 full oscillations / s 0.1s

40,36

40,17

40,25

40,34

40,29

38,13

38,17

38,22

38,09

38,24

35,46

35,70

35,56

35,64

35,52

33,65

33,68

33,59

33,71

33,62

31,45

31,45

31,36

31,51

31,42

T /
s

Uncertai
nty of
T / s

1,00
2.
0,90
3.
0,80
4.
0,70
5.
0,60

Processed Data
Table2.
No
.

Pendulu
m
length, L
/m
0.01m

Average
time for 20
oscillations
/s

Uncertainty from
repeated
measurements of
t/s

Perio
d, T /
s

Uncertai
nty of T /
s

1,00

40,28

0,10

2,007

0,011

0,90

38,17

0,08

1,903

0,011

0,80

35,58

0,12

1,794

0,012

0,70

33,65

0,06

1,679

0,012

0,60

31,44

0,08

1,554

0,013

Presented Data

4,02
4
3,62
2
3,21
9
2,81
7
2,41
5

0,040
0,040
0,040
0,040
0,040

T (s) vs. L (m)

4.5

3.5

T (s)
3

2.5

2
0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

L (m)

gradient=(1,000,60)/(4,0242,415)=4,020,02
g=2*4,02=8,04

Conclusion

1.00

1.10

Evaluation

Improving the investigation