Del Mar

8th Grade Science

Name Stella Wong Date 9/24/14

Per 7

Team Members: Stella, Melissa and Alex Timer: Stella Dropper: Melissa Recorder: Alex

Goals - To develop the skills of a scientist

by reviewing the scientific method.

graphing with independent variable as x axis, and dependent variable as y axis
Introducing accuracy, reproducibility and significant figures

Problem
What affects the period of a pendulum?
period = the time a pendulum swings back and forth once

Materials
stand, string, washers, big paperclips, rulers, stop watch

Hypothesis
I think that the weight of the bob will affect the period of

a pendulum by increasing the period as the weight of the bob increases.

Therefore, my independent variable is the bob.
Independent variable = manipulated variable-what I am changing

My dependent variable is the period of pendulum.

Dependent variable = responding variable -what I am measuring

My controlled variables are: the length of the string and the drop
height of the bob.

Controlled variables are everything I am keeping the same

Starting Data
Independent Variable

Starting Value

Incremental change

Weight of the bob

15.2 grams

15.2 grams

Dependent variable = the period of the pendulum (swing time)

Controlled Variables
Length of string

Value
55.0 cm

Drop height

55.0 cm

Experimental Data
Trial
1

Independent
variable = weight
15.2g

30.4g

45.6g

60.8g

76.0g

Time of 5 swings (s)

Test 1

Test 2

7.66
seconds
7.89
seconds
8.00
seconds
8.78
seconds
8.41
seconds

7.86
seconds
8.03
seconds
8.15
seconds
8.62
seconds
8.46
seconds

Average time
for 5 swings (s)

The Period (s)

7.76
seconds
7.96
seconds
8.08
seconds
8.7 seconds

1.55
seconds
1.59
seconds
1.62
seconds
1.74
seconds
1.69
seconds

8.44
seconds

(Average time for 1

swing)

Analysis and conclusion:

The period of a pendulum is the time it takes for the pendulum to swing back and
forth once. In this lab we tested what affects the period of a pendulum. I
hypothesized that the weight of the bob will affect the period of a pendulum by
increasing the period as the weight of the bob increases. We changed the
independent variable by adding one more washer to the pendulum for each trial. The
controlled variable of our experiment was the length of the string and the drop
height of the bob, we kept them the same by not moving the string to change its
length and measuring to make sure that its the same height of where we would drop
the bob every time.
My data shows that the weight of the pendulum effected the period of the
pendulum, supporting my hypothesis. There was an increment in the seconds of the
period for each trial except for the last trial because the string of the pendulum fell
off due to too much weight on the bob, changing our controlled variable. One washer
was added each time to the pendulum, making it increase 15.2 grams each trial. The
first trial was 15.2 grams with 1.55 seconds for one swing, 30.4 grams and 1.59
seconds for the second trial, 45.6 grams, 1.62 seconds for the third trial, 60.8 grams,
1.74 seconds for the fourth trial and 76 grams, 1.69 seconds for the last trial.
Some of the other groups in the class that also chose to measure how the weight
of the pendulum affected the period did not get the same results as our group did.
One of the groups results was that the independent variable did not have an affect on
the dependent variable, so their graph did not have a positive slope like our group
did.
After reading from Internet sites given by the teacher, I found out that what my
classmates and I have concluded was wrong. The pendulums period is not actually
affected by the mass of the bob, it is affected by the length of the pendulum and the
height of where you let go of the bob. There could be errors in our data because the
timing was not consistent every time and wasnt completely exact and accurate.
In conclusion, the height of where the bob is dropped and the length of the
pendulum affect the period of a pendulum.

Excel Graph of Data

The Dependence of the Period of the

Pendulum on the Weight of the Pendulum
Period of the Pendulum (seconds)

1.75

60.8, 1.74

1.7

76, 1.69

1.65
45.6, 1.62
1.6

Series1

30.4, 1.59

1.55

15.2, 1.55

1.5
0

20

40
60
Weight of the Pendulum (g)

80