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1oscHOOL OF BASIC SCIENCES AND RESEARCH, SHARDA UNIVERSITY

pHYSICS LABORATORY MANUAL
Experiment t~tle: (i)_To determi~e the acceleration due to gravity (g) by a compound pendulum . 1

(ii) To determine radius of gyration about an axis through the center of gravity for the compound
pendulum.

Objective: (i) To determine the acceleration due to gravity (g) by a compound penJulum .
(ii) To determine radius of gyration about an axis through the center of gravity for the compound
pendulum.

Apparatus: A bar pendulum, a knil'e-edge with a platform. a preci sion slup watch. a 111dcf :--cak
', '· \

Theory: The bar pendulum consists of a metallic bar of about one meter long. A series of
circular holes each of approximately 5 mm in diameter are made along the length of the bar. The
bar is suspended from a horizontal knife-edge passing through any of the holes. The knife edge.
in turn, is fixed in a platform provided with the screws. By ad_ju sting the rear screv, th e platform
can be made horizontal.

Formula used:

Where, T = time period of the compound pendulum

L = length of the compound pendulum

g = acceleration due to gravity

K = JAC x BC

Where, K = radius of gyration

AC & BC are the length shown in fi gure no.2

1
 -
piagram:

[. ..j

~ (:Y.l

I I~
gj .,--:.,,
e1,___. , , ,,.,.•··-·,. .,
!#..;.1·· . \ :].)

Fig.I Experimental setup for compound pendulum

Procedure:

(i) Suspend the bar using the knife edge of the hook through a ho~nearest to one end of the bar.
with the bar at rest.
(ii) Allow the bar to oscillate in a vertical plane with small amplitude (within 40 of arc).
(iii) Note the time for 20 oscillations by a precision stop-watch by. Make thi s observation one
time's and finds the mean time t for~2O oscillations. Determine the time period T.
(iv) Measure the distanced of the axis of the suspension, i.e. llrn hol e fruri:::i uw' or 1he edtses or
tl<le ear B)1 a me!ec scale "tYOl\ C.-~ ·
(v) Repeat operation (i) to (iv) for the_0th~_r h~l ~s till CG of the har is arrroached where the time
period becomes very large.
(vi) Invert the bar ·and repeat operation s (i) to (v) for each hole starting from th e extreme top .
(vii) Draw a graph with the distanced of the holes as abscissa and the time period T as ordinate.
The nature of graph is shown in be low figure.

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 1

G - -----
Dlstllnc~ (d ) of th.;i hc:•I~
from one end In cm

Fig.2 Graph with the distanced of the holes and the time period T

Observations:

Table 1: Data for the T vs <l graph:

Least count of stop watch: .. ... ......... .

- - ---- - - ----- --- - - -
Seriol no. of holes from Distance d of Time for 20 Oscillations (sec) Time Period
C.G. the hole from T_=t/20 (sec)
the center of --=--
2:ravity (cm)
One side of 1 I

C.G. 2 ·- -- . ------------ - ' -

.
.

Other side of 1 ---- -- - - -

C.G. 2 I
---- --- - ------- ----- i
~ ----- - ----\

.
-t-----------j
- -- ---------
~

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Table 2: The value of g and k f T
rom vs d graph

. ob ~
No. c-.f ·- L T _., L
.

l'vlean· i( K I :-,l~c1n ·K
(cm) (~ ~C) g = 4:rr '- -I 'J •"'I
I - '
1_...:m '
:. . r.: -~- · (( JU ! I
( 1 ~ .. ,
. --."
I

,'
!

(cm/:,-,: c" )
1. i\.DCDI: (A.D DI:
~
. ·1.:\!1
. -- .. ,. ,
\ AC<B C
or
")
.. ) CDXCE
-· ..
"
3. .. " ,,
"

.,

Calculation:

Calculation of g:

Draw the horizontal line ABCDE parallel to the X-axis. Here A, B, D and E represent the point
of intersections of the line with the curves. Note that the curves are symmetrical about a vertical
line which meets the X-axis at the point G, which gives the position of the C. G of the bar. Thi s
vertical line intersects with the line ABCDE at C. Determine the length AD and BF and tind th e
length L of the equivalent simple pendulum from

L= (AD+BE)/2=L/2

Find also the time period T corresponding to the line ABC DE and then compute the value of g .
Draw several horizontal lines parall el to X-axis and adoptin g th e ahcwe procedure find th e vah, e
of g for each horizontal line. Calculate the mea n value of~ - Altern atively. for each hori 1(1ntal
line ohtain th e valu es of I . ::i ncl T ~111 d cfr::rn a graph with r · :1:: :1hscis,;a '.1 nci I ::'- (' 1"Lli11 :1t,' Tk
graph would be a straight line. By taking a convenient point on the graph, g rnay be 1.:alculated.

Calculation of k:

To calculate the value of K, determin e the len gth AC. BC t:)r CD . CE nf th ,~ I inc /\ BC DF ,rnd
· j) '-\ 1L ll 1L' p tl' >L'l-l· lt1 "·• ' 11 I,11 ,,.
I CX8 C nr \/(' O'-
cu putc '-./\
111
. ,\.'(_' l-.·.. 1,l' , .. ,,·\.
,, ,.' .... , , :.,. ., ' ' ... .. ,' , . 1·. ,' I , ...' I , ,I.
·, ;. ,' ·. , ·, 1.,1 I,

all K.

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 Result:

The value of acceleration is

······ ... ········· ...
The radius of gyration of compo un d pt::n
., d ulum .1s
............... ···· ·

Percentage error:

%error == 5t andard Result~Experimental Result

----~S~ta_n_d_::ar~d~R~e~s~u~lt:..:..:::..::=..:.:..:==xioo

Precautions:

I. Distances are to be measured from C.G.

~-T_imes should be noted with the help of a stop-~atch .
.) . Smooth curves should be drawn.
4. Amplitude of oscillation must be small.

Viva voice:

I. What is compound pendulum?

2.Why is the graph of bar pendulum the way it looks?
3. What is the nature of oscillations of compound pendulum?
4.What is the length of the compound pendulum?
5. Can we conduct compound pendulum experiment at the centre of earth?

Out come of the experiment:

Students would able to learn how to calculate the radius of gyration about an axis throu gh the
center of gravity for the compound pendulum .