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Physics Lab Manual Simple Pendelum

This document outlines Experiment 1-1, which involves measuring the period of a simple pendulum to calculate the acceleration due to gravity (g). It details the procedure for taking measurements, estimating errors, and propagating uncertainties. The discussion section prompts reflection on the accuracy of results, the importance of multiple measurements, and potential improvements to the experiment.

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5 views

Physics Lab Manual Simple Pendelum

This document outlines Experiment 1-1, which involves measuring the period of a simple pendulum to calculate the acceleration due to gravity (g). It details the procedure for taking measurements, estimating errors, and propagating uncertainties. The discussion section prompts reflection on the accuracy of results, the importance of multiple measurements, and potential improvements to the experiment.

Uploaded by

gp2794
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Experiment 1-1

The Simple Pendulum I

Learning Goals

• Calculate g using measurements from a simple pendulum.

• Estimate measurement error.

• Calculate error from repeated measurements of the same quantity.

• Propagate error in order to determine uncertainties in quantities that are


calculated (via basic arithmetic operations).

Overview
In this experiment, you will determine g — the acceleration due to gravity near Earth’s
surface — by making multiple measurements of the period of oscillation of a pendulum
with a fixed length.
The equation for the period of a pendulum as a function of the pendulum’s length ℓ,
and g, is given by:
s
ℓ
τ = 2π (1)
g
An explanation for this equation (and an optional derivation) are given in the associated
background handout for this experiment.

Procedure
1. Begin by measuring the length of the pendulum with error and recording it in
your report.

1
The Simple Pendulum Part I Discussion

2. Let the pendulum swing at some small angle (less than 15 degrees; just release
the pendulum, pushing it will skew measurements) and measure the period of
the motion. Try to start and stop the stopwatch at the apex of the motion. A
full period is the time it takes to travel from one maximum point to back to the
same point. Take 18 measurements of the period and record the data in an excel
document.

3. Use standard deviation as the error associated with the period in later calcula-
tions. To calculate the standard deviation in excel use the function “stdev”.

4. Use equation 1 to determine g with error found by propagating uncertainties in


the pendulum length ℓ and the period τ . Please reference the Error Document
for a detailed explanation on how to go about propagating errors.

Discussion
1. Does your calculated value of g agree with the expected value (g = 9.81 m/s2 )?

2. Why do we take multiple measurements of the same quantity and then use the
average?

3. What does your reported standard deviation imply about your period measure-
ments?

4. What are the major sources of error in each part of the experiment?

5. How would you improve this experiment?

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