1) Tie a weight to the end of the string or rope. Measure the length from the pivot point to the center of mass of the weight. Record this length and record in the table. This is the length of the pendulum. Using a stopwatch, time the time it takes for 5 complete oscillations Record this number in the table.
2) Change the length of the pendulum Record the new length. Again, calculate the time for 5 complete Oscillations.
3) Repeat above to collect 5 different data points
4) Plot a graph of the length of the pendulum (x-axis) against the time for 5 complete oscillations (y-axis).
5) Calculate the period of the pendulum by dividing the time for 5 oscillations by 5.
6) Use the period to calculate the frequency of the pendulum by dividing 1 by the period.
7) Calculate the gravitational acceleration by using the formula g = (4π²L) / T², where L is the length of the pendulum and T is the period.
8) Repeat steps 2-7 for each data point collected.
9) Calculate the average gravitational acceleration from all the data points.
10) Compare the average gravitational acceleration to the known value of 9.8 m/s² to determine the accuracy of the experiment.
11) Analyze the relationship between the length of the pendulum and the time for 5 complete oscillations. Determine if there is a linear relationship or if it follows a different pattern.
12) Evaluate any potential sources of error in the experiment and discuss ways to improve the accuracy of measurements.
13) Draw conclusions about the relationship between the length of a pendulum and its period or frequency, and the effectiveness of using pendulums to measure gravitational acceleration.