Labbook
Introduction
Title of Experiment
Date
Partners
Brief description and purpose
Method
Consider what you’re going to measure.
Period vs M, Amplitude, L, ....... g?
What order? How many points?
How do you minimize errors?
measure a swing many times and average
measure many swings one time and divide
(But consider if the period changes as the
amplitude decays. Check amplitude dependence.)
Experimental Record
Apparatus — Diagram with labels is essential
Data in tables
label columns with what’s measured and units
try to estimate uncertainties — do a typical
measurement 4 or 5 times to see its spread if
you can. Otherwise estimate.
use correct significant figures
Analysis
Is any dependence on M or amplitude outside
errors?
Theory predicts T = 2π√(L/g). How can we
test that?
plot a graph to get a straight line.
not T vs L, but what?
(T2 vs L, T vs √L, log T vs log L)
get g from the graph (you figure out how) and
compare to the standard value.
Conclusions
Theory vs Experiment:
Did you get the dependence you expect?
Did you get any dependence you didn’t expect?
Did the value of g agree with the expected value?
Suggestions for improvements
How would you decrease uncertainties
There may be hints of a trend in the data but the
errors are too big to be sure.
Test some other aspect or a variation