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Johanes Widjaja
PHY 1003 STRC Experiment 9- Simple Pendulum

Objective: To experiment and find the period (T) , g exp, and % error of simple pendulum based
on the different angles and lengths hanging mass and angle degree and to check/verify answer
mathematically.

Procedure:
1. Set up rounded mass to one end of an ease string, and the other end is placed to a
fixed support
2. Alter the length (l) of your system so that l=50cm or any given value
3. Expulse the mass off its equilibrium until the string results the angle
approximately 10 with the vertical, release and measure the time for twenty
oscillations (t20)
4. Find the period T for one oscillation and T
5. Plot l versus T, find the slope, g exp and % error
6. For l= 40cm, find the time for twenty oscillations and determine the period when
the angle of release has values closely to 5,10,15,20, and 25



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Sketch :





Experimental Data:
Trial

l T20 T T
1 50 27.35 1.3675 s 1.870 s
2 40 25.93 1.306 s 1.705 s
3 30 22.10 1.105 s 1.221 s
4 20 18.28 0.914 s 0.835 s


y = 0.2699x - 0.03
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
l
(
m
)

T(s)
l
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Calculations and Error Analysis:







Question 1.
From your results, does the period depend on the angular amplitude of the oscillation? Give a
brief explanation of your answer
The period of the simple pendulum oscillations does not depend on the mass of the load, nor on
the angle of revolution. The period of the simple pendulum oscillations increases as the length of
the pendulum increases.




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Conclusion:
Based on the experiments, I conclude that the acceleration due to gravity can be found
experimentally from the dependence Period vs. Length. Therefore, the T of simple pendulum
oscillations increases as the length of the pendulum increases. The only possible sources of error
from this experiment are in my reaction time, as at times it may have been higher or lower than
my measured reaction time, or from miscount in the amount of oscillations.