Swing It Lab
Essay Preview: Swing It Lab
Report this essay
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