University of Mauritius BSc Physics Year 1

Physics Lab I – Sept-Oct 2018 Experiment E4 1/4

Experiment E4
Determination of acceleration due to gravity using
(a) a compound pendulum (b) a sphere on a concave mirror

(a) Determination of acceleration due to By drawing horizontal lines on this graph through given
gravity using a compound pendulum values of T, the corresponding mean values of the
Apparatus: length ( l ) of the Simple Equivalent Pendulum can be

l T  can be obtained
The usual pendulum for this experiment is a (metal)
2
obtained. An average value of
bar about a metre long drilled with holes at regular
intervals and supported by a pin through these holes. If from these results for use in computing g.
this is not available a metre rule can be used with Theory:
small holes drilled at 4 cm. intervals. A knitting-needle
passes through these holes, and supports the rule on
two rigidly held razor blade edges.
Stop-watch.
Method:
The needle is first inserted through the hole nearest to
the end A of the bar, and the time for say, 20 vibrations
of small amplitude is taken by the stop-watch. This is
repeated for each point of suspension along the rule.
(See fig 1). From the observations made, a graph is
plotted of the periodic time ( T ) against the distance
( d ) of the suspension from the end A of the rule.

Figure 2: Suspended rigid body

Figure 2 represents a rigid body suspended by a
horizontal axis through 0. On being displaced through
a small angle  from the vertical position a restoring

couple  Mgh sin    Mgh (since  is small)

is called into play. The equation of motion of the body

is thus :

 Mgh  I (where I is the moment of inertia

Fig 1: Suspended bar. about the axis through 0).

University of Mauritius BSc Physics Year 1
Physics Lab I – Sept-Oct 2018 Experiment E4 2/4

The motion is thus simple harmonic, and the periodic value of T will cut the graph in four points. The length

l of the S.E.P. for this value of T will be the distance

I from the 1st to the 3rd or the 2nd to the 4th of these
time ( T ) is T  2 .
Mgh points,

Writing IG for the moment of inertia about the Centre 4 2 l

then g 2 .
T
of Gravity (C.G.), then I  I G  Mh 2 (by theorem of

parallel axes), and I G  Mk 2 , where k is the radius

of gyration about the C.G.

k2  h2
i.e. T  2 .
gh
Since the periodic time of a simple pendulum is given

l
by T  2 , the period of the rigid body is the
g
same as that of a simple pendulum of length Figure 3
Notes:
k2 1. Consider the quadratic h 2  hl  k 2  0 .
lh .
h The least value of l for real roots is 2k when
This is known as the length of the Simple Equivalent
l
Pendulum. The expression for l may be written as a h1  h 2  k
2
quadratic in h, thus h 2  hl  k 2  0 . This gives and the time is then a minimum.
The radius of gyration can be found directly from the
two values of h , ( h1 and h 2 ) for which the body has
equal times of vibration. From the theory of quadratic EF
graph (fig 3), k , or alternatively k can be
equations, h1  h 2  l and h1h 2  k 2
.
2

Thus if a distance k 2
h1  is measured along the axis found from the relation k  h1h 2  AH  HC .

from G on the side remote from O, a point O' (the 2. Having found k as above, the moment of inertia of
centre of oscillation) is obtained, and the distance
the body about the C.G. IG can be determined,
O O' = length of the S.E.P. The periodic time about O'
having obtained its mass by weighing.
is clearly the same as that about O, i.e. the centres of
3. The radius of gyration and hence the moment of
suspension and oscillation are interchangeable.
inertia of a rigid body can be obtained very readily by
A graph of T against h (see fig 3) will be symmetrical
suspending it at a given distance h from its C.G. on
about a line through the C.G. (for which T is infinite)
as shown, and a horizontal line drawn through a given
the same axis as a simple pendulum. The length l of
the simple pendulum is adjusted so that both
University of Mauritius BSc Physics Year 1
Physics Lab I – Sept-Oct 2018 Experiment E4 3/4

k2 1
pendulums swing together. Then lh , from PE = ( R  r )  2  mg
h 2
The centre of gravity describes a. circular path, BC in
which k can be found.
figure 4, so that

(b) Determination of acceleration due to BC


gravity using a sphere on a concave mirror Rr
Method: Hence the potential energy at C is

A concave mirror (or a concave saucer) is arranged 1 BC 2

mg .
horizontally, facing upwards, so that a small steel ball 2 Rr
may be allowed to perform oscillations on its surface, At this point there is no kinetic energy.
in a vertical plane through the lowest point. At B the whole of the energy is kinetic, and equal to
The time of oscillation of the steel ball is obtained by
1 2 1 2
timing as many oscillations as possible on the surface. mv m  I m ,
2 2
The observation is repeated, and from these results, a
mean value of the periodic time T is calculated.
where vm is the maximum linear velocity of the centre

Then if of gravity and m the maximum angular velocity of

R is the radius of curvature of the upper face of the
rotation. I is the rnoment of inertia of the ball about
concave mirror, as measured by a spherometer,
an axis through the centre of gravity, at right angles to
m is the mass of the sphere,
the plane of the paper.
r its radius,
g the acceleration due to gravity,
it will be shown that
7
R  r 
T  2 5
.
g
g can then be estimated from the above formula.
Theory:
Consider the sphere in its position of equilibrium to be
with its centre at B (fig. 4), and when displaced to the
extreme position, with the centre at C.
We will consider the case of a mirror of large radius of
curvature and the displacement BC to be small
compared with R.
The potential energy of the sphere at C is ( mg .AB).

Now AB = OB – OA = ( R  r ) (1  cos )

 
i.e. the potential energy is ( R  r ) 2 sin 2    mg , Fig 4
2
or since  is small
University of Mauritius BSc Physics Year 1
Physics Lab I – Sept-Oct 2018 Experiment E4 4/4

At any intermediate point, P, distant x cm from B Note:

along the arc, the total energy is equal to either of R is measured by means of a spherometer, not by
these quantities and is therefore a constant, optical method, unless the front surface is silvered.

1 1 I 2 1 x2 Hence, all the terms are known except g , which may

i.e. mx 2  x
  mg  constant .
2 2 r2 2 Rr be calculated. The above method does not yield very
Differentiating this equation, and dividing by x
 before accurate values for g, but provides a useful exercise in
rearranging gives mechanics.

mg L2 x
x   x R 
 I  6x 2
R  r  m  2 
 r  where

i.e. the acceleration is a constant times the L is the distance between two adjacent feet of the
displacement. The motion is thus simple harmonic with spherometer

a. periodic time T. and

Knowing I, the moment or inertia about the axis x is the reading of the spherometer.

described, is equal to

2 2
mr
5
7
R  r 
Hence T  2 5
.
g