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Data Processing
Time Period (T) (s 0.04)
Length of the string (m
0.001)
Trial1
Trial2
Trial3
Average
0.200
1.00
1.03
1.01
1.01
0.300
1.20
1.20
1.20
1.20
0.400
1.31
1.37
1.38
1.35
0.500
1.50
1.52
1.50
1.51
0.600
1.67
1.63
1.63
1.64
Table2: The time period of the pendulum for different length of the
string
The column labeled Length of the string contain the lengths of the string which
have been converted into meter (m) by dividing by 100 (20.0/100 = 0.2000m).
Its uncertainty is the uncertainty of the measurement in centimeter divided by
Page 1 of 7
Time period=
For Trial1:
Length = 0.200m:
Length = 0.300m:
Length = 0.300m:
Time period=
5.00
=1.000 s
5
Time period=
6.00
=1.200 s
5
Time period=
6.56
=1.312 s
5
The column labeled Average is the average time period of the pendulum. It is
calculated by
Average =
For Trial1:
Length = 0.200m:
Length = 0.300m:
Length = 0.400m:
Average =
1.000+1.032+1.012
=1.015 s
3
Average =
1.200+1.200+1.200
=1.200 s
3
Average =
1.312+1.366+1.376
= 1.351s
3
The uncertainty of the time period is calculated by dividing the uncertainty of the
time taken for the pendulum to complete 5 oscillations by 5 (0.2/5 = 0.04s)
Length of
string
(m
0.001)
Average
time period
(Tave) (s)
Range of
Tave (s)
Absolute
Uncertainti
es of Tave (s)
Percentage
Uncertainti
es of Tave
(%)
(Average
time
period)2
(Tave)2 (s2)
Absolute
Percentage
Uncertainty
of (Tave)2 (s2)
0.200
1.01
0.02
0.04
3.94
1.03
0.08
Page 2 of 7
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.06
Range=
Range=
1.031.00
=0.02(2 d . p)
2
However, since the absolute uncertainty of the average time period calculated
previously (0.04s) is larger than the uncertainty calculated from the range, the
absolute uncertainty used to further calculation is taken to be 0.04s.
The percentage uncertainty Tave is calculated by
Percentage uncertainty=
Absolute uncertainty
100 %
Value
Percentage uncertainty=
0.04
100= 3.94%
1.01
The column labeled (Average time period)2 (Tave)2 is calculated by squaring the
average time period. Its unit is s2.
For Trial1: Length = 0.200m: (Tave)2 = 1.012 1.03 s2
The uncertainty of (Average time period)2 (Tave)2 is calculated by:
[ ( 2 percentage uncertainty of T
uncertainty=
ave
) ( T ave )
100
uncertain ty=
Page 3 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Data Presentation
3.00
f(x) = 18.84x
14.58x - 2.82
1.81
2.00
(Average time period)2 (Tave)2
Linear ((Average time period)2 (Tave)2)
Maximum gradient
1.50
0.50
0.00
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350
0.400
0.450
0.500
0.550
0.600
0.650
Page 5 of 7
In Graph1, the squared average time period (on the y-axis) is plotted against the
length of the spring (on the x-axis). The values are taken from Table3 and shown
as orange data points. The vertical error bars are the uncertainty of the (T ave)2
and taken from the column Absolute Percentage Uncertainty of (T ave)2 in Table3.
The maximum gradient line is drawn by joining the negative error bar of length
of string = 0.200m and the positive error bar of length of sting = 0.600m. The
minimum gradient line is drawn by joining the positive error bar of length of
string = 0.200m and the negative error bar of length of sting = 0.600m. The
uncertainty of the length of the string is too small to be shown clearly as
horizontal error bars on the graph, and thus is omitted.
The equations of the lines of best fit are generated automatically by Microsoft
Excel, where the coefficients of x represent the gradients of the lines.
T =2
l
g
2
T (2 )
=
l
g
(2 )
g
-1 2
g=
m=
( 2 )2
g
( 2 )2
m
For (Tave)2:
m = 4.17 m-1s2 (shown in black colour on the graph)
g=
( 2 )2
=9.47 ms2 (3s.f.)
4.17
( 2 )2
g=
=8.38 m s2
4.71
(3s.f.)
Page 6 of 7
( 2 )2
=10.8 m s2 (3s.f.)
3..66
max g min g
10.8 m s28.38 m s2
g=
=
=2.21 m s2
2
2
Percentage error of the experiment
The theoretical value of g is approximately 9.81 ms-2 (reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_of_Earth)
Percentage error=
9.47 2.21m s2 .
|9.819.47|
9.81
100 =3.47
100
(3 s.f.)
The theoretical value of g does fall into the range of the experimental value after
the uncertainties of 2.21 ms-2 has been allowed for. Also, the percentage error of
this experiment is quite low. Thus, it can be concluded that experiment was
precise and accurate. The experimental values of g are lower than the theoretical
value because of the presence of friction between the strings and the stand.
Page 7 of 7