Determine the value of g with a spring

Prepared by: Tong Sze Ho Dash

Tables for extension against weight

Scale reading / m ± 0.005

Weight / kg ± 0.005 1st trial 2nd trial 3rd trial

0.000 0.647 0.647 0.646

0.050 0.672 0.671 0.672

0.100 0.701 0.702 0.698

0.150 0.730 0.729 0.726

0.200 0.759 0.760 0.755

0.250 0.788 0.789 0.786

0.300 0.818 0.815 0.818

0.350 0.847 0.847 0.841

0.400 0.875 0.872 0.874

0.450 0.907 0.904 0.900

Extension / m ± 0.005

Weight / kg ± 1st trial 2nd trial 3rd trial Average

0.005

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.050 0.025 0.024 0.026 0.025

0.100 0.054 0.055 0.052 0.054

0.150 0.083 0.082 0.080 0.082

0.200 0.112 0.113 0.109 0.111

0.250 0.141 0.142 0.140 0.141

0.300 0.171 0.168 0.172 0.170

0.350 0.200 0.200 0.195 0.198

0.400 0.228 0.225 0.228 0.227

0.450 0.260 0.257 0.254 0.257

Graph for weight / extension (Graph 1)

Tables for oscillation against average speed

Time for 10 swings / s ± 0.20

Weight / kg ± 0.005 1st trial 2nd trial 3rd trial

0.000 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.050 3.76 3.74 3.73

0.100 4.99 5.02 5.01

0.150 6.05 6.00 6.02

0.200 7.08 7.01 7.02

0.250 7.75 7.89 7.78

0.300 8.40 8.56 8.48

0.350 9.15 9.07 9.04

0.400 9.78 9.58 9.67

0.450 10.15 10.25 10.21

0.500 10.78 10.66 10.73

Weight / kg ± 0.005 Average time for 10 Average time per T2 ± T x 4%
swings / s ± 0.20 swing (T) / s ± 0.020

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.050 3.73 0.373 0.139

0.100 5.01 0.501 0.251

0.150 6.02 0.602 0.363

0.200 7.02 0.702 0.492

0.250 7.78 0.778 0.605

0.300 8.48 0.848 0.719

0.350 9.04 0.904 0.817

0.400 9.67 0.967 0.934

0.450 10.21 1.021 1.042

0.500 10.73 1.073 1.151

Graph for weight / oscillation (Graph 2)

Uncertainty
The uncertainty for average time for 10 swings is 0.20s. As this set of data by using a stopwatch, we should
take human reaction time as the error, which is 0.20s. However, we adopted the method of repeated
measurement, minimising the error by 10 times. Therefore the uncertainty for the value of average time per
swing is ± 0.020s.

And for the uncertainty of T2, as multiplication is involved, the uncertainty will be calculated by percentage. As
mentioned above, the uncertainty for the value of average time per swing is ± 0.020s. The percentage
uncertainty is ± 0.020 x 100% = 2%. The uncertainty of T2 is therefore 2% x 2 = 4%.

Conclusion
From Graph 1,

Uncertainty of the gradient = (0.5847-0.5647)/2 = 0.01

Gradient = 0.5747 ± 0.01

From Graph 2,

Uncertainty of the gradient = (2.313-2.193)/2 = 0.06

Gradient = 2.253 ± 0.06

m
! = 2π ×
T
k

After squaring both sides,

4π 2
!T 2 = ( )m
k

Find k by gradient of Graph 2,

4π 2
! 2.253 =( )
k

k! = 17.5(3s . f.)

Hooke’s Law:

g
x! = ( )m
k
Find g by gradient of Graph 1,

g
0.5747
! =
17.5

g! = 0.5747 × 17.5 = 10.1(3s . f.)

0.5847 − 0.5647 2.313 − 2.193

Percentage uncertainty ! =( + ) × 100%
0.5747 2.253

! = 8.81%

Uncertainty for g:

10.1
! × 8.81%

! = 0.887(3s . f.)

Hence, the value of gravitational force is calculated as 10.1 ± 0.887.

The conventional standard value for g is exactly 9.80665 m/s2, which is within the range of the value of
gravitational force calculated above.