Experiment 1.

1 Relationship between Period of Oscillation and Length of Pendulum

Problem Statement:
Two children are playing on swings with different lengths at a playground. It is found that the periods
of oscillation for each swing is different.

How does the length of a pendulum affect its period of oscillation?

Inference:
The period of oscillation of a pendulum depends on the length of the pendulum.

Hypothesis:
The longer the length of a simple pendulum, the longer will be the period of oscillation

Aim of experiment:
To find the relationship between the length of a simple pendulum and the period of oscillation.

Variables:
(i) Manipulated variable: ______________________________________
(ii) Responding variable: _______________________________________
(iii) Constant variable: _________________________________________

Apparatus and materials:

Retort stand with clamp, stopwatch, pendulum bob, meter rule and thread with length of 100cm –
120cm

Arrangement of apparatus:

thread
Retort
stand

bob

Procedure:
1. Set up the apparatus as shown in Figure above.
// A small brass or bob was attached to the thread. The thread was held by a clamp of a retort
stand.
2. The length of the thread, l was measured by a meter rule, starting with 90.0 cm.
 3. The bob of the pendulum is oscillated at a small angle.
4. The time for 10 complete oscillations, t is taken using the stopwatch. The reading is recorded
as t 1 in the table.
5. Step 3 and 4 are repeated and the time is recorded as t 2. The average of two readings is
t
calculated and the period of oscillation, T is determined by using, T =
10
6. Steps 3 to 5 are repeated for lengths, l= 80.0 cm, 70.0 cm, 60.0 cm, 50.0 cm and 40.0 cm.
7. The results are recorded in a table.

Tabulation of data:
length of Time taken for 10 oscillations Period, T =
pendulum, t 1 ¿s) t 2 ¿s) t 1 +t 2 t
l(cm) t= (s) (s)
2 10
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0

Analysis of data:
[graph]

Conclusion:
The period of the oscillation ________________ when the length of the pendulum _______________.