6.

01 Pendulum Lab
Purpose: To explore the relationship between the length of a pendulum and
its period
Introduction: In the previous activity you learned that the swing time of a
pendulum is dependent on the length of a pendulum. In other words, if the
length of a pendulum is changed, then the swing time will change accordingly.
The swing time of the pendulum is also called the period of the pendulum.
In this lab you will investigate the mathematical relationship between the
length of the pendulum and its period. Remember that the period is the time
for one complete back-and-forth motion of the pendulum during its swing. The
symbol for the period of a pendulum is "T," and the period is measured
in seconds.
Materials: pencil, washers or paper clips, string, calculator, stopwatch,
and Graphical Analysis
Procedure:
1. Use the approximately 20 washers or 30 paper clips and string to
construct a pendulum that is 100.0 cm long. Hang the pendulum using
the pencil as described in the previous activity. Since the pendulum is
quite long, you may need to stack books on the table to increase the
height from which the pendulum is suspended.
2. You may need a family member or friend to help you with this part. Pull
the mass to one side and release it to begin the swinging motion of the
pendulum. Use the stopwatch to measure 20 complete swings of the
pendulum. Enter the data in Table 1, and calculate and record the
period (time for one complete swing). Remember that the stopwatch
reading is given to the nearest hundredth of a second.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until Table 1 is completed. Remember that the
length of a pendulum is measured from the point of attachment to the
middle of the bob.
4. Answer the questions about the lab. The following sites can be
accessed to complete the lab in a virtual setting.
Choose six lengths between .5 and 2.5 meters. Enter the data in the table.
Interactive Pendulum Lab

Pendulum Java Applet

5. Submit your work according to the directions at the end of the activity.

Table 1:
Length
(m)

Time for 20 Swings (s)

Period (s)

Questions:
1. Use Graphical Analysis to make a graph of the period versus the
length. The shape of the graph is different from any other you have
done. Choose "Automatic Curve Fit" from the Analyze menu. Click on
"Power." The resulting graph is a half-parabola around the x axis. It
means that the variable on the y axis is directly related to the square
root of the variable on the x axis.
A. Express this relationship using the variables you analyzed
instead of the generic "y" and "x."
B. Remember that the square root of x can be written as x1/2. If the
generic equation is y = kx1/2, write the specific equation
suggested by the actual variables in this graphical data.
2. Look at your graph. What length pendulum would have a period of 1.0
s?
3. The equation for the period of a pendulum is
.
A. How does your equation from 1B relate to the pendulum
equation?
B. Use the pendulum equation to calculate the period of a 1.50 m
pendulum. Remember that the value of "g" is 9.81 m/s2.

C. Compare your calculated period (from 3B) to your data by using

the graph you constructed. Explain any possible sources for
error if your graph does not agree with your calculated results.
4. The following data has been gathered by another lab group. Analyze
the data using your graph as the template. Can you detect an
experimental error in the group's data?

Length
(m)

Period (s)

0.80

0.94

0.60

0.78

0.50

0.75

0.30

0.56

0.10

0.38