Experiment of acceleration due to gravity g by simple pendulum
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EXPERIMENT 2
Measurement of g: Use of a simple pendulum
OBJECTIVE: To measure the acceleration due to gravity using a simple pendulum.
Textbook reference: pp10-15
INTRODUCTION:
Many things in nature wiggle in a periodic fashion. That is, they vibrate. One such
example is a simple pendulum. If we suspend a mass at the end of a piece of string, we
have a simple pendulum. Here, the to and fro motion represents a periodic motion used in
times past to control the motion of grandfather and cuckoo clocks. Such oscillatory
motion is called simple harmonic motion. It was Galileo who first observed that the time
a pendulum takes to swing back and forth through small distances depends only on the
length of the pendulum The time of this to and fro motion, called the period, does not
depend on the mass of the pendulum or on the size of the arc through which it swings.
Another factor involved in the period of motion is, the acceleration due to gravity (g),
which on the earth is 9.8 m/s2
. It follows then that a long pendulum has a greater period
than a shorter pendulum.
Before coming to lab, you should visit the following web site:
http://www.myphysicslab.com/pendulum1.html
This simulation shows a simple pendulum operating under gravity. For small oscillations
the pendulum is linear, but it is non-linear for larger oscillations.
You can change parameters in the simulation such as mass, gravity, and friction
(damping). You can drag the pendulum with your mouse to change the starting position. I
With the assumption of small angles, the frequency and
period of the pendulum are independent of the initial
angular displacement amplitude. All simple pendulums
should have the same period regardless of their initial
angle (and regardless of their masses).
2
The period T for a simple pendulum does not depend on
the mass or the initial angular displacement, but depends
only on the length L of the string and the value of the
gravitational field strength g, according to
PROCEDURE:
The period T of a simple pendulum (measured in seconds) is given by the formula:
T=2 π √ (L/g) (1)
T = time for 30 oscillations (2)
30 oscillations
using equation (1) to solve for “g”, L is the length of the pendulum (measured in meters)
and g is the acceleration due to gravity (measured in meters/sec2
). Now with a bit of
algebraic rearranging, we may solve Eq. (1) for the acceleration due to gravity g. (You
should derive this result on your own).
g = 4π²L/T2
(3)
1. Measure the length of the pendulum to the middle of the pendulum bob. Record
the length of the pendulum in the table below.
2. With the help of a lab partner, set the pendulum in motion until it completes 30 to
and fro oscillations, taking care to record this time. Then the period T for one
oscillation is just the number recorded divided by 30 using (eq. 2).
3. You will make a total of eight measurements for g using two different masses at
four different values for the length L.
Note: π = 3.14, 4 π² = 39.44
3
L (meters) mass Time for 30 oscillations Period T (seconds) T² g = 39.44L/T2
Average value of g = __________