Cavendish University Zambia
School of Medicine
Foundation Physics Laboratory (January 2021)
Laboratory Session Seven: Simple Pendulum
Simple Pendulum
1. Objectives:
1. To investigate the relationship between the period of a pendulum and its length.
2. To determine the acceleration due to gravity.
2. Apparatus
1. Support Stand with String Clamp
2. Pendulum bob.
3. Light string
4. Meter rule
5. Vernier caliper
6. Stopwatch
3. Theory
A simple pendulum may be described ideally as a point mass suspended by a massless string from
some point about which it is allowed to swing back and forth, as shown in Figure 1. A simple
pendulum can be approximated by a small metal sphere which has a small radius and a large mass
compared to the length and mass of the light string from which it is suspended.
Figure 1
If a pendulum is displaced from its equilibrium position by a small angle, , its period of oscillation,
T, only depends on its length and the acceleration due to gravity and is given by:
𝑙
𝑇 = 2𝜋√ (1)
𝑔
1
where T is the period in seconds, l is the length in metres, and g is the acceleration due to gravity
in m/s2. Note that equation (1) is only valid for < 5°.
Equation (1) predicts two properties of a simple pendulum:
1. The square of the period is directly proportional to the length. We get this relationship
by squaring equation (1).
𝑙
𝑇 2 = 4𝜋 2 (2)
𝑔
2. The period is independent of the mass of the pendulum since the mass does not appear
in equation (1).
4. Procedure
1. Measure the diameter of the pendulum bob with a Vernier caliper and record your reading
in Table 1.
2. Suspend the pendulum bob from a clamp stand with a light string. The string should be
clamped between two flat pieces of wood so that the string always pivots about the same
point. Make the string at least 60 cm long.
3. Measure the length of the string from the point of suspension to the top of the ball using a
metre rule and note down the length of the pendulum. The length of the simple pendulum
is equal to the length of the string plus the radius of the pendulum bob.
4. Displace the pendulum about 5º from its equilibrium position and let it swing back and
forth. Measure the total time it takes to make 15 complete oscillations. Repeat the
measurement two times. Make sure the three readings are similar to each other. Record
the time in Table 2.
5. Increasing l in steps of 10 cm, measure the total time it takes to make 15 complete
oscillations for four other values of l. Record the time in Table 2.
2
5. Results and Analysis
Table 1
Diameter of Pendulum Bob (cm)
Table 2
Length Time for 15 Oscillations Mean Time Period T2
(m) t1 (s) t2 (s) t3 (s) t (s) T (s) (s2)
1. Calculate the period T for each length by dividing the mean time by the number of
oscillations. Record the values in Table 2.
2. Complete Table 1 and plot T2 (y-axis) against l (x-axis).
3. Find the slope of the graph in 2 and calculate acceleration due to gravity, g, using:
4𝜋 2
𝑔= (3)
slope
4. Compare your result with the accepted value of the acceleration due to gravity of 9.8 m/s2.
5. Calculate the percent error in your result.
6. Examine your graph for the behavior of the period with respect to the length of the
pendulum. What conclusions can you draw from your graph?
