Acceleration Due to Gravity

UnderGravity and
85
EXPERIMENT 7
Usinga simple pendulum, plot its L-T? graph and use it to find the
effective length ofgecond's
pendulum.

APPARATUS

A clampwith stand, a split cork, thread, bob, Vernier Callipers,stopclock/watch,metre scale

chalk.
anda piece of

THEORY

1. SimplePendulum.Anidealsimplependulumconsistsofaheavypointmass(calledbob) tied to one

end of a perfectly inextensible, flexible and weightless string. There is no ideal simple pendulum.
In practice, we make a simple pendulum by tying a metallic sphericalbob to a fine cotton stitching
thread.

2. Length of Simple Pendulum. The distance between the point of suspensionof thependulum
and its C.G. (which is C.G. of the bob), is called the length of the simple pendulum. It is represented
by the symbol l.

Length of simple pendulum = length of thread + length of hook of bob + mean radius of the
sphericalbob

i.e.,

of the simplependulumto
3• Time Period of the Simple Pendulum. Time taken by the bob
simple pendulum. It is represented
make one complete vibration, is called the time period of the
by the symbol T.

Thetime period is given by the formula,

T- 211

or

or

Knowingthe value of T and g, I can be calculated.

 Clamp
Split
cork
Thread
Stand
130 cm

120 cm

110cm

100 cm

Table 90 cm

Ml 80 cm

Hook

A B Lab Bob
c floor
(c)
S cm 5 cm (b)
(a)

Fig. (a) Simple Pendulum. I = l' + h + r

simple pendulum,
(b)Effectivelength of
(c)Marks on thread.

PROCEDURE and record it (asin

constant and zero error of the vernier callipers
1. Find the vernier
(as in Experiment 1). Find the
2. Determinethe mean diameter of the sphericalbob
(r) of the bob. it.
scale and record
3. Find the length h of the hook attached to the bob by metre
the hook. 110co
4. Takea cotton thread about 2 metres long and tie its one end with cm,
distance of 80 cm, 90 cm, 100effectiveleng
5. Put ink marks M M M on the thread as give
distances
120 cm, 130 cm, ...... from the centre of gravity of the bob. These
froli
(l) of the simple pendulum. just
coming out
6. Passthe thread through the two split parts of a cork with the threa d
80 cm mark.
7. Tight the two half cork pieces between the clamp. laborator
bove the
8. Fixthedampinastandkeptonatableatsuchaheightthatthebobisjust2cma
floor. •
9. Mark a point A on the floor just below the position of bob at rest (mean position) illatio

when
10. Draw a straight line CAB,10 cm long in direction along which bob will move
A is middle point of CB.
MotionUnder Gravity and Acceleration Due to Gravity
11. Find the least count and the zero error of 87
the stopclock/watch.
12. Movethe bob by hand to over position B Bring its hands at
on the right ofA zero position.
and leave. see that
the bob returns
13. When the bob returns from C and starts moving
to right ofA, start
the stopclock/watch
and
14. bob goes towards B to right extreme, returns
from right extreme
left extreme. When bob crosses A from towards and goes towardsc to
C, count one.
15. In this way count upto 19. Become alert when bob
starts the 20th vibration.
16. Just when 20th vibration is completed, count 20
and at once stop the
stopclock/watch.
17. Findtotal time notingpositions ofboth the
hands of the clock/watch. This
time is time fortwenty

18. Repeat steps 13 to 18 two times more for same length.

19. Move the clamp up by 10 cm.

20. Loose the cork pieces and pull the thread out to
increaseits length by 10 cm. Noweffective
length of pendulum becomes 90 cm. Bob will be again 2 cm
above the laboratory floor.
21. Repeat steps 13 to 19 two times to take in all the two observations for this
newlength. Repeat
step 20.

22. Repeat step 21 and then steps 13 to 19 to take two observations each for lengths 90 cm,
100 cm, 110 cm, 120 cm and 130 cm.
23. Recordall the observations as given ahead.

OBSERVATIONS
1. Vernier (V.C.) - cm.
constant of Vernier Callipers

Zero error of vernier callipers (e):

cm, (ii) cm, (iii) cm.
Mean zero error,(e) = cm
Mean zero correction (c) cm
Observed diameter of the bob:
. cm, cm, (iii) cm.
(ii)
Mean observed diameter, do = cm
Mean corrected diameter, cm

Mean radius of the bob, cm

2
Length of hook of the bob, cm
Standard value of g = 980 cm s-2.
 clock/watcb
stop
count of clock/watcb
Least stop clock/watcb
error of stop 'lime period
Zero
correction
of
d tinte (T) vibrations
Zero (l) an 20
Length Tittte for Mean 20
Tablefor
Lengthof (s)
pendulum
1.8 3.24
36
36
(on) 37
(on) 35 3.61
80.0 1.9
38
38
38
38 4.00
90.0 2.0
88.4 40
40
40
40 4.41
100.0 2.1
98.4
42
42 42
41
110.0 4.84
108.4 2.2
44 44
43 45
120.0 5.20
2.28
46 46
47 45
128.4 130.0
6.

givenassample
Observationsare and lt2 is taken as 10)
(Net.

CAWUIÄONS
(a) Withthe table
Foreachlength, write mean time for 20 vibrations,

Write mean values of t in column (3) of above table,

alue
and write
Foreachlength,find time period 4
T — s and write its value in column
20
T2in column 5 of the
above table.
graph.Plot a graph taking
between I (column, 2b) and T2 (column 5) by
X-axis and T2 alongYaxis.'lhe
graph comes to be a straight line.
 Graph between
I and T for
a simple
pendulum
X-axis : 1 cm
5.2 10 cm of I
Y-axis : 1 cm =
0.4 s of T

4.8

4.4

4.0

(D 3.6

3.2

2.6
0 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
Length of pendulum (l) in cm

Fig. Graph between I and T2 for a simple pendulum. It is a straight line.

The graph is a straight line because,

T— — andT20cl

From this graph, for T 2 = 4, I comes to be 100 cm.

Hence for second's pendulum (T = 2 s) length comesto be 100 cm.

RESUIT

Experimental length 100 cm

Actual length = 99.4 cm
Error = 0.6 cm
Percentageerror =
0.6 100 -0.6%
x
99.4
error
This error is within the limit of the experimental

PRECAUTIONS
inextensible.
Thread should be strong, weightless and
rigid support.
Point of suspension should be fixed in a
 Practical
90
of split cork of of the
to the
splitting sin 0 - O. 0 S 1801
small to
Amplitude shouldbe
straight line,
bob should move along a
6. The
shouldnot spin during vibration.
7. 'Ihebob
should be free from disturbances of building vibrationsor
8, Place of experiment

be switched off.
9. Laboratoryfan should
of pendulum should include length of hook and radius of bob.
10. Length
started from zero.
11. Countingshouldbe proper and
12. Clock/watchshould be accurate.
to bring appreciable changeintirü
13. Lengthofpendulum should be increased in steps of 10 cm
period.
14. Metre scale used should be accurate.

SOURCES OF ERROR
1. The string may not be weightless and inextensible.
2. Point of suspension may not be rigid.
3 The amplitude may not be small.
4. The bob may spin.
5. the air currents may disturb
vibrations.
6. Theremaybe an error
in counting.
7. The stop clock/watch
may be inaccurate.
8. Theremaybe delay
in starting and stopping the stopclock/watch.