Experimental Report 4

DETERMINATION OF GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION USING

SIMPLE PENDULUM OSCILLATION WITH PC INTERFACE
Verification of the instructors
Class:
Group:
Name:

I. EXPERIMENT MOTIVATION

- Understanding more about the harmonic oscillation.

- Verifying the value of gravity acceleration.
- Improving experimental skills.
II. THEORICAL BACKGROUND

√ ( )
2
l ⇒ g=l 2 π
T =2 π
- Pendulum with vertical oscillation plane: g T

√ ( )
2
l ⇒ g= l 2 π
T =2 π
- Pendulum with inclined oscillation plane: g cos θ cos θ T

-
III. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1. Investigation for various pendulum lengths

- Step 1: Choose an arbitrary pendulum length (may be 400 mm or 500 mm). Note that the
pendulum length l was the distance of the centre of the supported mass from the centre of
the rotational axis.
- Step 2: Move the 1-g weight holder, which tenses the coupling thread between the
pendulum sphere and the movement sensor, manually downward and the release it. Set
the pendulum in motion (small oscillation amplitude) and click on the ”Start
measurement” icon. After approximately 5 oscillations click on the ”Stop measurement”
icon, a graph appears on the screen. Determine the period duration with the aid of the
cursor lines, which can be freely moved and shifted onto the adjacent maxima or minima
of the oscillation curve. Record the measurement result in a data sheet.
- Step 3: Repeat the measurement several times (5 to 10) to get the average value of the
oscillation period.
- Step 4: Repeat the measurement with different pendulum lengths (500mm and 600mm or
600mm and 700mm).
 2. Pendulum with inclined oscillation plan
- Rebuild the experimental set-up according to Fig. 7. The oscillation plane is initially
vertical. The round level located on top of the movement sensor housing facilitates the
exact adjustment. Determine g for various deflection angles such that the oscillation
plane is not vertical but rather at an angle θ to the perpendicular. The following angles are
recommended for measurement: θ = 0°, 10°, 20°, 40°, 60°, 80°.
- Perform the measurement several times (5 to10) for each case of angle to get the average
value of oscillation period.

IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

L1= 0.500 (m) L2= 0.600 (m) L3= 0.700 (m)

Trial
T1 (s) T2 (s) T3 (s)
1 1.421 1.559 1.702
2 1.404 1.535 1.707
3 1.435 1.545 1.686
4 1.402 1.580 1.677
5 1.407 1.572 1.681

√∑ √∑ √∑
5 5 5
T 1=1.414(s) Δ T 1= ¿¿¿¿ T 3=1.558(s) Δ T 3= ¿¿¿¿ T 3=1.691(s) Δ T 3= ¿¿¿¿
i=1 i=1 i=1

1)Pendulum with vertical oscillation plan

2) Pendulum with inclined oscillation plan:

θ1=0° θ2=1 0 ° θ3 =20 °
Trial
T1 (s) T3 (s) T3 (s)
1 0.742 0.780 0.787
2 0.783 0.735 0.798
3 0.732 0.745 0.767
4 0.779 0.742 0.746
5 0.742 0.786 0.819
 √∑
5
T 3=0.783(s) Δ T 3= ¿¿¿¿
i=1

√ √
5 5
T 1=0.756(s) Δ T 1= ∑ ¿¿¿¿ T 2=0.758(s) Δ T 2= ∑ ¿¿¿¿
i=1 i=1

θ 4=40° θ5 =60° θ6 =80 °

Trial
T4 (s) T5 (s) T6 (s)
1 0.864 1.026 1.826
2 0.884 1.023 1.815
3 0.834 1.067 1.853
4 0.854 1.061 1.858
5 0.854 1.038 1.837

√∑ √∑ √∑
5 5 5
T 4=0.858(s) Δ T 4 = ¿¿¿¿ T 5=1.043(s) Δ T 5= ¿¿¿¿ T 6=1.838(s) Δ T 6= ¿¿¿¿
i=1 i=1 i=1

II/Data Processing
1) Determination of the oscillation period of a thread pendulum as a function of the
pendulum length:
a. L1=0.500 (m)

( ) ( )
2 2
2π 2 ×3.141 2
g1=L1 =0.500 × =9.88(m/s )
T̄ 1 1.414

√[ ][ ][ ] √(
2 2 2

)( ) ( )
ΔT1 Δ l1 Δπ 0.013 2 0.001 2 0.001 2
Δ g 1=g 1 × −2 + +2 =9.88 4 + +4
T1 l1 π 1.414 0.500 3.141

¿ 0.2 3
2
T h en , g1=9.88 ±0.23 (m/s )
 Typical pendulum oscillation at the length of 0.500 m
Hence
2
g1=9.88± 0.23 (m/s )

b. L2=0.600 (m)

( ) ( ) ( )
2 2
2π 2× 3.141 m
g2=L2 =0.600 × =9.75 2
T̄ 2 1.558 s

√[ T ] [ l ] π √ 1.558 0.600 3.141 ) =0.21

+ [2 ]
2 2 2
=9.75 4 ( ) +( ) +4(
ΔT Δl 2 Δπ 2 0.017 0.001 0.001 2 2 2
Δ g =g × −2
2 2 +
2 2

2
T h en , g2 =9.75 ±0.21 (m/s )
 Typical pendulum oscillation at the length of 0.600 m
Hence
2
g2=9.75± 0.21( m/s )
c.L3=0 .700
(m)

( ) ( )
2 2
2π 2× 3.141 2
g3=L3 =0.700 × =9.66 (m/s )
T̄ 3 1.691

√[ ][ ][ ] √(
2 2 2

)( ) ( )
Δ T3 Δ l3 Δπ 0.012 2 0.001 2 0.001 2
Δ g 3=g3 × −2 + + 2 =9.66 4 + +4 =0.14
T3 l3 π 1.691 0.700 3.141
2
T h en , g3 =9.66 ± 0.14(m/s )
 Typical pendulum oscillation at the length of 0.700 m
Hence
2
g3=9.66 ±0.14 (m/ s )

2) Determination of the gravitational acceleration as a function of the inclination of the

pendulum force:

a, θ1=0°

( ) ( )
2 2
l 2π 0.140 2 ×3.141 2
g1 = = =9.67(m/s )
cos θ 1 T 1 cos 0 0.756

√[ ][ ][ ][ ]
2 22
ΔT1 Δ l1 Δπ Δ cos θ1
Δ g 1=g 1 × −2 + +2 +
T1 l1 π cos θ 1

√
¿ 9.67 × 4 × ( 0.756) (
0.021 2 0.001 2
+
0.140 )
+4 ×
3.141 (+ ) (
0.001 2 0.001 2
1.000 ) 2
=0.54T h en , g1=9.67 ± 0.54(m/s )
 Typical pendulum with inclined oscillation plan at the angle of 0°
Hence
2
g1=9.67 ±0.54 (m/ s )

b.
θ2 =10 °

( ) ( )
2 2
l 2π 0.140 2 ×3.141 2
g2 = = =9.76(m/s )
cos θ 2 T 2 cos 1 0 0.758

√[ ][ ][ ][ ]
22 2
ΔT2 Δl Δπ Δ cos θ 2
Δ g 2=g2 × −2 + + 2 +
T2 l π cos θ2

√
¿ 9.76 × 4 × ( 0.758)(
0.021 2 0.001 2
+
0.140
+4×)3.141 (
+ )(
0.001 2 0.001 2
0.985
=0.55 )
2
T h en , g2 =9.76 ± 0.55(m/s )
 Typical pendulum with inclined oscillation plan at the angle of 10°
Hence
2
g2=9.76 ±0.55 (m/s )

c, θ3 =20°

( ) ( )
2 2
l 2π 0.140 2×3.141 2
g3 = = =9.59(m/s )
cos θ 3 T 3 cos 2 0 0.783

√[ ][ ][ ][ ]
2 2 2
Δ T3 Δl Δπ Δ cos θ 3
Δ g 3=g3 × −2 + +2 +
T3 l π cos θ 3

√
¿ 9.59 × 4 × ( 0.783)(
0.025 2 0.001 2
+
0.140
+4×)3.141 (
+ )(
0.001 2 0.001 2
0.940
=0.62 )
2
T h en , g3 =9.59 ± 0.62(m/s )
 Typical pendulum with inclined oscillation plan at the angle of 20°
Hence
2
g3=9.59± 0.62( m/s )

d, θ 4=40°

( ) ( )
2 2
l 2π 0.140 2 ×3.141 2
g4 = = =9.80( m/s )
cos θ4 T 4 cos 4 0 0.858

√[ ][ ][ ][ ]
2 2 2
Δ T4 Δl Δπ Δ cos θ 4
Δ g 4=g 4 × −2 + + 2 +
T4 l π cos θ4

√
¿ 9.80 × 4 × ( 0.858)(
0.016 2 0.001 2
+
0.140
+4×) (
3.141
+ )(
0.001 2 0.001 2
0.766
=0.37 )
2
T h en , g2 =9.80 ± 0.37(m/ s )
 Typical pendulum with inclined oscillation plan at the angle of 40°
Hence
2
g4 =9.80 ± 0.37(m/s )

e, θ5 =60°

( ) ( )
2 2
l 2π 0.140 2× 3.141 2
g5 = = =10.16 (m/s )
cos θ 5 T 5 cos 6 0 1.043

√[ ][ ][ ][ ]
2 2 2
Δ T5 Δl Δπ Δ cos θ 5
Δ g 5=g5 × −2 + +2 +
T5 l π cos θ 5

√
¿ 10.16 × 4 × ( 1.043)(
0.018 2 0.001 2
+
0.140 )
+4×
3.141 (
+ )(
0.001 2 0.001 2
0.500
=0.36 )
2
T h en , g5 =10.16 ±0.36 (m/s )
 Typical pendulum with inclined oscillation plan at the angle of 60°
Hence
2
g5=10.16 ± 0.36 (m/s )

f, θ6 =80 °

( ) ( )
2 2
l 2π 0.140 2 ×3.141 2
g6 = = =9.42(m/s )
cos θ 6 T 6 cos 8 0 1.838

√[ ][ ][ ][ ]
2 2 2
Δ T6 Δl Δπ Δ cos θ6
Δ g 6=g6 × −2 + +2 +
T6 l π cos θ6

√
¿ 9.42 × 4 × ( 1.838)(
0.016 2 0.001 2
+
0.140
+4×)3.141 (
+ )(
0.001 2 0.001 2
0.174 )
=0.19

2
T h en , g6 =9.42 ±0.19 (m/s )
 Typical pendulum with inclined oscillation plan at the angle of 80°
Hence
2
g6=9.42± 0.19( m/s )

3)Conclusion
Gravitational acceleration does not depend on the length of the rod or the angle of inclined
oscillation plane due to the fact that it only depends on altitude, depth and other factors such as
air density, the gravitational effect of the Moon and the Sun.