Harmonic Motion: Simple Pendulum

Name: Partners Names:

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Purpose:
In this lab you will study the motion of a simple pendulum. A simple pendulum that has a small amplitude of swing, i.e, initial angle less than 30 degrees from the vertical.

Procedure:
The period of a pendulum is the time required for the pendulum to make one full back and forth swing. You will study the effect that changing the length of the pendulum has on the pendulums period in order to try and determine the equation that models the relationship between the length and the period. We will use the photogates to measure the time it takes to complete one full period. Your angle should be less then 30 degrees and your mass should be between 50-100 grams

Part 1

Collecting Pendulum Data

Keeping the same mass and same initial angle measure the period of the pendulum for eight different lengths. Fill in the table below. How to set up your pendulum: 1. Use the ring stand to hang your mass from a string. Attach the string to the ring on the ring stand. Make sure to let your pendulum swing in a way that it will travel along a line and will not hit the photogate. The length of the pendulum is the distance from the point on the rod halfway between the strings to the center of the mass. The pendulum length should be at least 30 cm. 2. Attach the Photogate to the second ring stand. Position it so that the mass blocks the Photogate while hanging straight down. 3. Connect the Photogate to DIG 1 of LabQuest and choose New from the File menu. If you have an older sensor that does not auto-ID, manually set up the sensor.

4. Set up LabQuest for data-collection with a pendulum. a. On the Meter screen, tap Mode. b. Change Photogate Mode to Pendulum Timing and select OK. 5. Temporarily hold the mass out of the center of the Photogate. Observe the live readings on the screen. Block the Photogate 1 with your hand. Note that the Photogate is shown as Blocked on the screen. Remove your hand and the display should change to Unblocked. 6. Temporarily hold the mass out of the center of the Photogate. Start data collection to prepare the Photogate. 7. Now you can perform a trial measurement of the period of your pendulum. Hold the mass from about 10 from vertical and release. After five trials have been recorded, stop data collection. (This means the photogate has been blocked five times) 8. Choose Statistics from the Analyze menu. Record the Average Period in your data table. 9. When you are ready measure another period, simply start data collection again. You will use this method for each period measurement below Keeping the same mass and same initial angle measure the period of the pendulum for eight different lengths. Fill in the table below. Mass (g) Length (cm) Initial Angle (deg) Time (sec) Period (sec

Does changing the length significantly change the period of the pendulum? Explain how length changes the period of the pendulum.

Part 2 Predicting from Data

Scientists often look at ratios of numbers, square roots of number, etc. in their search for patterns. Look for patterns in your data to find an equation (or relation) between the Period of the pendulum and the Length. The three curves below show three possible functional relations between the Period and Length, i.e. period is proportional to Length squared, Length, or square root of Length. The constant C is just a constant of proportionality. By carefully plotting your data on the axes below, decide which functional form best fits your observations. After deciding which functional form is correct, use your data to figure out which single value of C works best for all your data.

What value of C seems to work best for all eight lengths, period data pairs?

What is your equation for the period of the Pendulum of a given length?

Assume that we had a large pendulum of length 300cm, mass 100g, and initial angle of 10 degrees. Use your equation to predict the period of this pendulum, without actually measuring it. Data about the pendulum will be given on overhead. Show your calculations. (Use http://www.atmosedu.com/PHSC101/Flash/Pendulum/Pendulum.html to simulate the pendulum)

Predicted Period=___________Sec Once everyone has made a prediction then the large pendulums actual period will be displayed

Actual Period=___________ Sec Compare your prediction to the actual period by calculating the percent difference between the two. ( )

Questions
The theoretical formula for the period of a simple pendulum is, The length corresponds with the sluggishness (or inertia) of the pendulum and the acceleration of gravity corresponds to the strength of the force restoring the pendulum back to the bottom of its swing. All oscillators have inertia and restoring force which combine to make them oscillate at a certain frequency. 1. What is the period of a 1.0 m (100cm) long pendulum?

How does this compare with the value recorded in your data table? (give % difference)

2. The acceleration of gravity on Jupiter is 2.53 times that of gravity on the Earth. Would the period of a 1.0 m long pendulum be longer or shorter on Jupiter than on Earth?

3. The frequency of a pendulum is (1/Period). That is if the period is the number of seconds per cycle the frequency is the number of cycles per second. Another name for cycles per second is Hertz (Hz). What is the frequency of a pendulum that has a period of 0.5 sec.

4. A little girl is sitting on a swing and swings back and forth with a period of 3.0 seconds. If she stands up on the swing the period of her swing will be. a. Longer b. Shorter c. unaffected