Swing It Lab

Swing It Lab

Purpose: 1) To determine the acceleration due to gravity, using the pendulum formula

2) To determine the effects of varying the displacement of the pendulum on the results

Materials: string

a nail on ceiling or a hanger

running shoe

duct tape

stopwatch

Procedure: 1) The materials were gathered.

2) The end of the string was tied to a horizontal bar (stable).

3) The other side of the string was tied to a running shoe directly down the centre.

4) The string and running shoe were swung (held tightly one way and dropped, thus swinging to the other side), as a pendulum would swing. One cycle of the bob was timed. Timed a second and third try and averaged out the results.

5) The acceleration was calculated.

6) The length of the string (top of bar to the centre of shoe) was measured.

7) A Data Table was filled out similar to the one below.

Observations

Object Time (s) for One Cycle Avg. Time (s) for One Cycle Length (m) of String Acceleration

(m/s2)

string attached to a horizontal bar and running shoe 1) 2.14 s

2) 1.98 s

3) 2. 03 s 2.05 s 0.68 m 6.39 m/s2

for acceleration of gravity (using pendulum formula):

∴ the acceleration due to gravity, according to the pendulum theory, is 6.39 m/s2

Conclusion: The results of this lab (acceleration due to gravity) are not exactly accurate because