EXPERIMENT 2

SIMPLE PENDULUM

Aim of the experiment

To show that the period of a simple pendulum varies with its length and to
determine the acceleration due to gravity by a using a simple pendulum.
1. Introduction

A simple pendulum consists of a spherical metal ball called bob, hanged by an

inextensible light string. The mean position of a bob is when is at its rest position.
When the bob is displaced from the mean position and then released, it makes back
and forward movements about the mean position, i.e., exhibit periodic motion.

The motion occurs in the vertical plane and is driven by gravitational force. The
forces acting on the bob are the tension (T) and the weight (W = mg) shown in
Figure 1 below. The restoring force is the tangential component of the
weight.

Figure 1. Simple pendulum.

If a pendulum moves from one extreme position to the another and back to the first,
it is sad to have completed one oscillation. The time to complete one oscillation is
called period (T). The number of oscillations per unit time is called frequency (f).
The length of a simple pendulum is the length from the point of suspension to the
centre of the bob. Hence to find the length of the pendulum, the diameter of the
bob must be measured to estimate the radius (r ) of the bob and the length of the
hook.
It can be shown that the period of a simple pendulum is related to its length and
gravitational acceleration as
𝐿
𝑇 = 2𝜋√ . (1)
𝑔

In this experiment, the period of a simple pendulum will be measured for different
lengths of a pendulum to estimate the value of the gravitational acceleration and its
percentage error.
Apparatus
Simple pendulum, stop watch, vernier calipers, meter stick, retort stand, inextensible
light string and split cock.

2. Experimental procedure

1. Suspend the bob by an inextensible light string.

2. Measure the length from the point of suspension to the center of the bob (L).
For this you need to measure the diameter of the bob using vernier calipers
(and calculate the radius (r)), lengths of the hook (h) and the string from
point of suspension to the hook (l). Total length of L = r + h + l.
3. Gentle pull the bob from mean position to extreme end making an angle of
about 10 and release it in such a way that it undergoes periodic motion.
4. Record the time the pendulum takes to complete 20 oscillations.
5. Repeat with different length of a pendulum, e.g., 50 cm, 60 cm, 70 cm, 80
cm, 90 cm and 100 cm.
6. The measurements must be listed in Table 1 which will be transferred to your
scientific report submitted for assessment.

Table 1: Values of length (l) period (T) of a simple pendulum.

L L=r t1 for 20 t2 for 20 Average Period T2 1/T2
(cm) + h +l oscillations(s) oscillations t (s) T (s) (s2) (s-2)
(cm) (s)
1 50
2 60
3 70
4 80
5 90
6 100
 3. Calculations and plotting of graphs

1. Calculate average of 1/T2 from Table 1.

2. Hence calculate g from equation 1 above.
𝑔−𝑔𝑒𝑥𝑝
3. Calculate percentage error of g. 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = 𝑥100.
𝑔
4. Plot a graph of T versus L and state your observations.
5. Plot a graph of T2 versus L and calculate the gradient of the graph.
6. Hence deduce g from the graph.

………………………………………………………………..End of the experiment……………………………………………………