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You carried out an experiment to measure g, the acceleration due to gravity - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2009
Question 1
You carried out an experiment to measure g, the acceleration due to gravity. (i) Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus you used. (ii) State what measurements yo... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:You carried out an experiment to measure g, the acceleration due to gravity - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2009
Step 1
Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus you used.
Answer
To draw a labeled diagram of the apparatus, include the following components:
- Falling object/Ball: Represent this as the pendulum bob.
- Support: This could be a stand from which the pendulum hangs.
- Timer: Indicate a timer in the diagram, which is used to measure the time taken for the pendulum to complete certain oscillations.
- Photodiode: Show this component at the end of the pendulum's swing that helps in detecting the motion.
- Stopwatch: Display a stopwatch that is used for timing purposes.
Label all these components clearly and ensure that the diagram follows proper scaling.
Step 2
State what measurements you took during the experiment.
Answer
During the experiment, I took the following measurements:
- Length of the Pendulum: Measured from the pivot point to the center of mass of the pendulum bob.
- Time Period (T): Measured the time taken for the pendulum to complete a set number of oscillations (typically 10 or more).
- Slope of Graph: If applicable, measured the slope using the data obtained from plotting a graph of time squared against the length.
Step 3
Describe how you took one of these measurements.
Answer
To measure the Time Period (T) of the pendulum, I followed these steps:
- Set up the pendulum to swing freely.
- Using a stopwatch, I started timing as the pendulum was released from a small angle (to ensure simple harmonic motion).
- I counted the number of oscillations performed and stopped the timer after the set number was reached.
- Lastly, I calculated the average time for one complete oscillation by dividing the total time by the number of oscillations counted.
Step 4
How did you calculate the value of g from your measurements?
Answer
To calculate the value of g from the measurements taken, I used the formula:
Where:
- L is the length of the pendulum,
- T is the time period measured.
This involves measuring the length of the pendulum and substituting it into the equation along with the time period obtained, leading to the calculation of g.
Step 5
Give one precaution that you took to get an accurate result.
Answer
One crucial precaution taken to ensure an accurate result was to avoid parallax error when measuring the length of the pendulum. I positioned my eye directly in line with the measurement scale to ensure that I read the measurement accurately without any misreading.