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In Activity 8.2 you measured the time period of a pendulum of a given length, and the different readings came out slightly different from each other. Find out what might cause these small differences. Think of ways to control those causes, then repeat the activity to check whether the difference between the readings becomes smaller.
Show Answer
Small timing and counting errors cause the slight differences, and careful control reduces them.
Key Points
- Starting or stopping the stopwatch a little early or late changes the reading.
- Miscounting the number of oscillations also changes the result.
- Air movement or pushing the bob instead of releasing it gently can affect the swing.
- To control these: release the bob gently, count carefully, and time many oscillations together.
- Timing 20 oscillations and dividing by 20 makes each reading more accurate.
- When the activity is repeated carefully, the readings come much closer to each other.
Careful, repeated measurement reduces the small differences between pendulum readings.
