PHYS 1010 Experiment #5 - Measuring g with a Pendulum

In this experiment, we seek to obtain an accurate value for the gravitational field strength g in m/s^2. We do this by building our own pendulum using some string, a hex nut and some tape where we can vary the length of the pendulum's string by changing the position of the tape alongside the string. For three trials, we measure the length of the pendulum's string when it's 50, 80 and 110 cm, and measure the time taken for the pendulum to make 10 swings to calculate the period of the pendulum's oscillatory motion. We then use the equation for the period of a pendulum to calculate our three values for g, and find the average and standard deviation to determine the actual value for g and how much it can vary by due to error. Finally, we discuss possible limitations that can occur in our investigation.