What is the purpose of the pendulum lab experiment?


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The goal of this experiment was to determine the effect of mass and length on the period of oscillation of a simple pendulum. Using a photogate to measure the period, we varied the pendulum mass for a fixed length, and varied the pendulum length for a fixed mass.

What is the conclusion of the pendulum experiment?

The surprising conclusion – the pendulum traverses a longer distance in a shorter time, than in a shorter distance, and its period is shorter. There are a number of reasons why Galileo thought that the period remains constant. One factor which Galileo failed to consider is friction.

How do you do a pendulum experiment in physics?

Tie the string to the weight. Then suspend your pendulum over the edge of the table so that the length of the pendulum is about 2 feet. Now pull the weight back about a foot and let your pendulum start swinging. Time it for 30 or 60 seconds and count how many times it swings back and forth.

What is the analysis of simple pendulum experiment?

Abstract: A Simple Pendulum is a piece of mass attached to a thread and supported rigidly from one end. Simple pendulum experiment is mainly carried out for calculating the time period of an oscillation, when there is a change in the amplitude.

What is the hypothesis of the pendulum experiment?

The hypothesis in this case would be, “changing the amount of weight at the end of the pendulum will change the period of the pendulum.” The experiment design would involve measuring the period with one amount of weight, changing the weight without changing any other variables, then measuring the period with the new …

How do you write a lab report?

A lab report is broken down into eight sections: title, abstract, introduction, methods and materials, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. The title of the lab report should be descriptive of the experiment and reflect what the experiment analyzed.

What is the introduction of simple pendulum?

Introduction. A simple pendulum consists of a small bob of mass (m) suspended by a light (assumed to be massless) string of length (L), and the string is firmly attached at its upper end. This pendulum is a mechanical system which we will assume exhibits simple harmonic motion.

What affects the period of a pendulum?

The period of a pendulum does not depend on the mass of the ball, but only on the length of the string. Two pendula with different masses but the same length will have the same period. Two pendula with different lengths will different periods; the pendulum with the longer string will have the longer period.

Why does length affect the period of a pendulum?

A pendulum with a longer length takes longer to cover the distance to swing from one side to the other. Since the period of a pendulum is the amount of time it takes for the weight to swing and then return to its original position, this will mean a longer period.

How do you make a pendulum science project?

  1. Tie a weight onto the end of the piece of string.
  2. Make a loop at the other end of the string.
  3. Screw the hook into the piece of wood and balance the wood between the backs of two chairs.
  4. Put the loop of string over the hook.
  5. Start the weight swinging and time how long it takes to make 20 swings.

What are the variables in a pendulum experiment?

The variables you will be testing are length of string, mass of pendulum, and angle of release.

Why does a shorter pendulum swing faster?

A pendulum with a longer string has a lower frequency, meaning it swings back and forth less times in a given amount of time than a pendulum with a shorter string length.

What are the objectives of simple pendulum?

The purposes of this experiment are: (1) to study the motion of a simple pendulum, (2) to study simple harmonic motion, (3) to learn the definitions of period, frequency, and amplitude, (4) to learn the relationships between the period, frequency, amplitude and length of a simple pendulum and (5) to determine the …

How can the accuracy of a pendulum experiment be improved?

Improve the accuracy of a measurement of periodic time by: making timings by sighting the bob past a fixed reference point (called a fiducial point ) sighting the bob as it moves fastest past a reference point. The pendulum swings fastest at its lowest point and slowest at the top of each swing.

How do you find the gravity of a pendulum?

Measure the time period T for one oscillation using a stopwatch. Determine the length L of the pendulum. Divide the length L by the square of the time period T . Multiply the value obtained from Step 3 by 4ฯ€ยฒ and you will get the value for acceleration due to gravity, g .

What is dependent variable in simple pendulum?

So, for example, if you were trying to determine how the period of a pendulum changes when the length of the pendulum is varied, the dependent variable would be the pendulum’s period, and the independent variable would be the pendulum’s length.

What causes the movement of the pendulum?

This is because the swinging motion of a pendulum is due to the force of gravity generated by the earth’s size. Other factors, including a pendulum’s length, can also affect its motion. A pendulum is an object hung from a fixed point that swings back and forth under the action of gravity.

Why does the pendulum eventually stop swinging where does the energy go?

The pendulum stops eventually because of air resistance. The pendulum loses energy because of friction. Only in a theoretical situation when there is no friction the pendulum will oscillate forever.

What are the 5 parts of a lab report?

Sections of a laboratory report: A typical report would include such sections as TITLE, INTRODUCTION, PROCEDURE, RESULTS, and DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION.

How do you write an analysis and conclusion for a lab report?

  1. Restate: Restate the lab experiment. Describe the assignment.
  2. Explain: Explain the purpose of the lab. What were you trying to figure out or discover?
  3. Results: Explain your results.
  4. Uncertainties: Account for uncertainties and errors.
  5. New: Discuss new questions or discoveries that emerged from the experiment.

How do you start an introduction for a lab report?

The introduction of a lab report states the objective of the experiment and provides the reader with background information. State the topic of your report clearly and concisely (in one or two sentences). Provide background theory, previous research, or formulas the reader should know.

Why simple pendulum is called simple?

The simple pendulum (see wikipedia or hyperphysics) leads to a simple differential equation by using Newton’s second law: ยจฮธ+glsin(ฮธ)=0. This pendulum gives the easiest way te look at harmonic motion. The above case is what they call the simple pendulum.

What is the time period of a pendulum?

The time period of a simple pendulum is equal to the time it takes to complete one Oscillation. T=2ฯ€โˆšlgโ†’ Length of the string of the pendulum.

How many types of pendulum are there?

The various kinds of pendulums include the bifilar pendulum, the Foucault pendulum, and the torsion pendulum.

How does gravity affect pendulum?

Gravity is the consistent force that always pulls downward on the pendulum, whether it is at rest or in motion. Partly due to the force of gravity, the pendulum swings side-to-side in a rounded motion. The other force acting on the pendulum is the tension force due to string that holds the weight.

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