Mechanics - Simple pendulum - Experiment 4

EXPERIMENT NO. 4

You’re required to determine the height of the laboratory bench and the acceleration due to gravity g. 
Proceed as follows;
(a) Tie one end of the pendulum bob to the pendulum bob and fix the other end of the thread to the edge of the bench with a small nail keeping the height from floor to the pendulum bob as h = 5cm as shown in figure below
(a) Displace the pendulum through a small angle to one end and set it to oscillate with small amplitude.
Record the time for 30 oscillations hence determine the period T for one complete oscillation.
Increase the height h above the floor by 5cm interval such that you obtain four other values of h and repeat the procedure in (b) above
(b)    (i) Tabulate your results
(ii) Plot the graph of T2 (y- axis) against h (x- axis) 
(iii) Determine the slope of the graph and find the acceleration due to gravity g using the relation$$T^2={-4π^2 h \over g}+{4π^2 H \over g}$$
(iv) Determine the height H of the bench
(a)  State all possible sources of errors in this experiment and state the precautionary measures that are to be taken in order to reduce the effect of those errors

SOURCEES OF ERRORS IN THE EXPERIMENT

Environmental sources
Wind resistance to the oscillating motion of a pendulum bob

Measurement sources
i)    Errors in measurement of length which may include parallax and zero error of the measuring devices
ii)   Error in timing device like stop watches (errors in starting and stopping a stop watch)
iii) Large angle of displacement of the bob which may disturb to and fro movement of the bob

Graphing error
i)    Uses of blunt pencil in drawing graph
ii)   Too much estimation when drawing graph
iii) Taking very close points when calculating slopes from graph

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES IN REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF ERRORS
i)    Conduct the experiment in a part of the laboratory free from drought
ii)   Zero error of the metre rule should do be treated
iii) Angle of displacement of the bob should be kept as small as possible
iv) Sharp pencil should be used in drawing graph
v)   Choose far point when calculating gradient
vi) Repetition in taking data and uses of average data should be done
vii) Avoid unnecessary estimation of data or truncation

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