PASCO ME-9502 Statics System - Manual (Page 62)

S t a t i c s S y s t e m E x p . 1 1 A : S i m p l e H a r m o n i c M o t i o n – P h y s i c a l P e n d u l u m
®
58 012-12876B
In this part of the experiment you will investigate this equation for the period of the simple harmonic motion of a
physical pendulum with a fixed distance between the pivot point and the center of mass.
Procedure
1. Move the pivot of the Balance Arm to the 170 mm mark at one end of the beam,
and mount the pivot near the top of the Statics Board.
2. Measure and record the total length, L, of the beam of the Balance Arm and the
distance, L
cm
, from the pivot point to the center of mass (presumably at “0”).
3. Start the beam swinging but keep the angle of the swing reasonably small (less
than 20°).
4. Measure and record the total time for 10 oscillations.
5. Repeat the measurement a total of five times.
Data Table
• Length, L (m) = _________________ Distance, L
cm
(m) = _______________
Calculations
1. For each trial, calculate and record the Measured Period by dividing the total time by the number of oscilla-
tions. Calculate the Average Measured Period.
2. Calculate the Theoretical Period:
Questions
1. How well does the theoretical value for the period of oscillation compare to the measured period of oscilla-
tion?
Trial Oscillations Total Time (s) Measured Period (s) Theoretical Period (s)
1
2
3
4
5
Average Measured Period (s)
Pivot
point
Beam
Center of
mass
Fig. 11.3: Setup
L
cm
T 2

1
12
------L
2
L
cm
2
+
L
cm
g
------------------------------- =