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 Abstract

In this experimentation report simple pendulum method was conducted to find the
value of g. Even in the presence of many other variables like displacement, angle
damping and the bob’s mass, the most important variable is the length of which the
string that is being hanged. The correspondence between time and length has been
investigated for many years, that has allowed ours famous scientists Isacc Newton and
Galilio to observe the value of g. Inside this report we will execute the same
experiment again and find the value of g and later the calculated value of g would be
compared with frequently used value of g 9.806m2/s. Here in this method time
period is calculated as a function of length by providing the changes in pendulums
string length.

Table of Content
 Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

Objective........................................................................................................................1
Introduction....................................................................................................................1
Theory............................................................................................................................1
Apparatus Figure............................................................................................................6
Procedure........................................................................................................................6
Calculation and Observation..........................................................................................7
Analysis..........................................................................................................................9
Result and Discussion..................................................................................................10
Improvements...............................................................................................................10
Reference......................................................................................................................10

List of Figures and Table

Figure 1 (Simple Pendulum).............................................................................................1
Figure 2 (Gravity of earth)................................................................................................2
Figure 3 (g derivation)......................................................................................................3
Figure 4 (Pendulum explanation).....................................................................................3
Figure 5 (pendulum into components)..............................................................................4
Figure 6 (apparatus)..........................................................................................................6
Figure 7 ( graph between T2 and 4Π2l)...............................................................................8

Table 1 (For T2 and 4Π2l)...............................................................................................7

Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

1. Objective

The purpose of this experiment is to measure the acceleration due to gravity value by
changing the length of the simple pendulum

2. Introduction

A simple pendulum include a suspended weight that is attached to the pivot so that it
may swing freely. In pendulum the mass m is fixed to the one end of mass lees string
of length L. By using this length of the string the time period is measured, through
which the correlation is used and the value of g is measured. pendulum oscillates to
and fro within the maximum displacement. The time completed by pendulum of one
oscillation is the time period(Harry, 1959).

Figure 1 (Simple Pendulum)

3. Theory

In this experiment the value of g is measured by using a simple pendulum apparatus.

In simple pendulum a mass is attached at the end of the string with a known length
This method basically follows the harmonic motion, but before going to further detail
let a have a look on gravity.

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

Gravity is basically a universal force of attraction acting upon every matter present.
Its a universal action that is controlling many solar system trajectories, the structures
the evolution of stars and whole cosmos. On earth everybody is having a downward
weight or force that is proportional to their masses or that masses which earth exert
upon them. Gravity is usually measured as acceleration of freely falling body. At
earth its 9.8m2/s.

Figure 2 (Gravity of earth)

Acceleration due to gravity is the acceleration of the body that is caused by the
acting force upon the body due to the gravitation body, it is denoted by g and its
standard formula is 9.8 m2/s. The calculating formula for the g is through Newton’s
second law of motion.
Represented as,
GM
g=
r2
g = acceleration due to gravity ( unit m2/s)
G = the universal gravitation constant = 6.673*10-11Nm2Kg2
M = mass of large body like earth
r = distance from the center of mass of large body

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

Figure 3 (g derivation)

Coming to the simple pendulum its basically a following the simple harmonic motion.
Simple harmonic motion is a back and forth monotonous movement through the
position of equilibrium to center so the maximum displacement of one side is equal to
maximum displacement of other side. Simple harmonic motion is major type of
periodic oscillation in which the acceleration is directly proportional to displacement
from the direction of equilibrium position to equilibrium position.
In simple pendulum the heavy metal sphere with so shorter radius than the length of
the fiber is used as point mass. This metal ball is called bob of pendulum. Whereas the
distance linking the point of suspension up to the middle of gravity of bob is called
the length of simple pendulum (James, 1959)

Figure 4 (Pendulum explanation)

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

The equilibrium position for the simple pendulum occurs when center of gravity
recline vertically down to the suspension point. When the is released slightly with
some initial angle the bob start to oscillate at its equilibrium or mean position. Bobs
move with the linear simple harmonic motion.
Let suppose l is the length of simple pendulum and m is the mass of simple
pendulum. Considering the bob at some random position with a displacement of AB
that is equal to x. Lets suppose that Abe that respective angular displacement.
∠ BOC=θ

Figure 5 (pendulum into components)

Here the bob is present at B position and the tension T is acting vertically downward.
The weight is resolved into 2 components as mg sinθ to the mean position and mg cos
θ at OB. Tension acting is
T =mg cos θ
The restoring force acting upon the bob is
F=− mgsin θ
-sinθ informs about the force is in opposite direction of angular displacement. The
angular displacement is so minor that
sin θ ≈ θ
F=− mgθ
From geometry of circle and figure
x
θ=
l

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

x
F=− mg
l
mg
F=−( )x
l
As mass of bob m, acceleration due to gravity g and length of pendulum l is constant
for the instance so
F∝−x
This shows that the force acting upon pendulum is directly proportional to
displacement that is the identifying characteristic of simple harmonic motion.
The time period is time require by the pendulum to complete one oscillation.
F
k=
x
− mgx
l
k=
x
− mg
k=
l
Considering magnitude only,
m l
=
k g
The formula of time period for simple harmonic motion is

T =2 π
√ m
k

T =2 π
√ l
g
So this expression is for time period of simple pendulum. There are some laws of
simple pendulum given as (Takashi, 1995)
 Law of Mass: the time period is independent to the bob’s mass this property
is called law of mass
 Law of Length: the time period is proportionate to the square root of length
this is called law of length
T ∝ √l

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

 Law of Isochronism : the time period is independent on the amplitude, as

the amplitude is insufficiently small. This is called law of isochronism. The
oscillation of simple pendulum is isochronous.
 Law of Gravity : the time period is oppositely symmetrical to the square root
of the acceleration due to gravity this is called law of gravity.( George and James,
2005)
1
T∝
√g

4. Apparatus Figure

The apparatus figure is following

Figure 6 (apparatus)

5. Procedure

 Through the top right tab (panel 1) the mass of bob, the length of pendulum and
mass tab were selected and they were recorded in the table. 

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

  The earth was selected by clicking on the drop down menu from the gravity tab
(panel 2).
 The ruler stopwatch and period trace options were checked on the panel 3.
 Stopwatch was set to zero.
 Drag the bob was dragged to its extreme right of left position and allowed the
pendulum to swing through a small angle (less than 10°) by pressing the play
button.
  Record the time was recorded for 10 complete oscillations in the table below.
 The procedure was repeated for 10 complete oscillations and average time was
calculated.
 The same procedure was repeated for five more length of pendulum between
0.2m to 1.0 m.
 The time period T was measured by dividing average time by 10.
 All the results were recorded in table below.

6. Calculation and Observation

Time for 10 oscillations Time

Length T2
(sec) Period 4 π 2l
(m) (sec2)
1 trial
st
2 trial
nd
Avg (sec) (m2)

0.4 12.79 13.04 12.91 1.29 15.79 1.6641

0.45 13.26 13.42 13.34 1.33 17.77 1.78
0.5 14.08 14.15 14.11 1.41 19.74 1.99
0.55 14.8 14.84 14.82 1.48 21.71 2.19
0.6 15.47 15.56 15.51 1.55 23.69 2.4
0.65 16.06 16.08 16.07 1.61 25.66 2.59

Table 1(For T2 and 4Π2l)

Then by using the equation of time period value of g was calculated as shown below
T =2 π
l
g √
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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

Square was taken on both side

2 2 l
T =4 π
g
Rearranging the equation
4 π 2 l =gT 2
By using the equation
y=mx+c
The graph was plotted between 4 π 2l and T2 , where as 4 π 2l was on x- axis and T2 was
on y- axis. The gradient was found that was equal to g.
The graph was plotted using excel.

4 π2l  VS T2
30

25.66
25 f(x) = 10.2717330946126 x − 0.86811140479217
R² = 0.994654907117141 23.69
21.71
20 19.74
17.77
15.79
15
4 pi 2 L

10

0
1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8

T2
Figure 7( graph between T2 and 4Π2l)

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

7. Analysis

Now the equation equation is

y=10.272 x − 0.8681
By comparing it with the equation
y=mx+c
Gradient=m = 10.272
Intercept=c = -.8681
So the gradient emerged from the graph is 10.272 which is equal to g (acceleration
due to gravity), so
2
g=10.272m /sec
Actual value of g
g=9.806 m2 /sec
Absolute discrepancy is
¿ 10.272− 9.806
¿ 0.466m2 / sec
Percentage discrepancy
10.272− 9.806
10.272
¿ .045
¿ 4.5 %
Value of g with the uncertainty of precision measurement
g=10.272± 0.466 m2 /sec
The value of g would be accurate if the value of g calculated 10.272 was so so closed
to 9.806 , but its perfectly fine to have a precise value which is not accurate.

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

8. Result and Discussion

So the value of g calculated is slightly above then the actual value of g that might be
due to some error like it may systematic error or human error. While the graph shows
the relation of time period and length that is direct as we achieve straight line in
graph. That show us that it would be reliable to say that time period is the function of
length changes and our experiment calculation also follows the law of length in which
the time period is linearly proportional to square root of length so this is well found
with a bit of error which can eliminated by few improvements.

I. Improvements

 By making the reduction in the accuracy of time period which is done by

measuring many oscillations and calculating average time for one oscillation and
by making the increase in total time for many swings
 By improving the accuracy of time period measurement by passing the bob in
timing slightly through a reference point (point of fiduciary) and by observing
bob if it move fast while passing through reference point.

9. Reference

James L. Anderson,AJP 27,188-189, (1959) Approximations in Physics and the

Simple Pendulum.
Harry H. Denman, AJP 27, 524-525, (1959) Amplitude-Dependence of Frequency in
a Linear Approximation to the Simple Pendulum Equation.
Takashi Araki,AJP 62, 569-571, (1994) Measurement of simple pendulum motion
using flux-gate magnetometer.
 Gregory L. Baker and James A. Blackburn,2005, The pendulum.

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

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Using a Simple Pendulum to measure g

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