Part 2: Swing into action Set up your pendulum system for investigating simple harmonic motion (SHM).
As you know from the reading the period is not expected to depend on the amplitude of the
oscillation. In this experiment, the goal is to test if the period is independent of amplitude.
Determine the period for at least two amplitudes:
small - just a slight displacement from the equilibrium position, perhaps 5 degrees, and
large - at least 20 degrees.
For each amplitude, decide how to measure the period with what you consider to be reasonable
precision and accuracy. Consider how many oscillations you are including in a single
measurement. Please explain your reasoning when you write your procedure.
Begin by collecting three trials at each amplitude. Calculate the average and the 95%-confidence
interval of the period at each amplitude. Do the two measurements have overlapping 95%-
confidence intervals? In other words, do the two sets of three measurements agree with each
other?
TEXAS
Lab - Mechanics, Heat, and Sound (102M) 3