Title: Pendulum

Aim: To investigate the effect on the period (T), of a sample pendulum of varying length (L)

Theory: Pick out information you deem to be necessary from the excerpt below.

Apparatus:
1. 110cm of thread
2. Retort stand
3. Boss head and clamp
4. 2 wooden blocks
5. Protractor
6. Meter rule
7. 0.1s Stopwatch
8. Pendulum bob
Diagram:

Method:
1. A boss head and clamp were affixed to a retort stand.
2. A string was tied to the bob, thus creating a pendulum.
3. A length of 70cm was measured, from the center of the bob, and marked off on the string
of the pendulum.
4. The string was placed between two wooden blocks (at the marked point) and clamped
onto the retort stand.
5. The bob of the pendulum was displaced and released at 10 from the rest position.
6. After a few swings, the time taken for the pendulum to complete 20 oscillations was
measured using a stopwatch.
7. Steps five (5) and six (6) were repeated for various lengths of string; (l = 60cm, 50cm,
40cm, 30cm, 20cm and 10cm.)
8. All results were tabulated.
9. A graph of T2 vs l was plotted.

Results:
Table 1:

Length, l/ m Time taken for 20 Periodic time, T/ s T2 / s2

oscillations/ s (i.e. time taken for 1
oscillation)
0.700 56.9 2.85 8.12
0.600
0.500
0.400
0.300
0.200
0.100

Insert a graph of T2 vs l

Calculations:
1. Gradient of the graph
2. Use the gradient to derive a value for the acceleration due to gravity, g.
I’ll explain how to do part (2)

Precautions:

Sources of Error:
Discussion:
- How does length affect the period of a simple pendulum?
- Why is the periodic time (T) calculated from the time for 20 oscillations instead of
measuring it directly by timing one oscillation?
- Justify the number of significant figures which you gave in your answer for periodic time
(T)
- How can reaction time error be reduced?
- What was the experimental value obtained for g and how does it compare with its
theoretical value?

Conclusion:

Reflection: