---
title: "A student is tasked with designing an experiment to determine the local acceleration due to gravity, \\(g\\), using a simple pendulum. The student has access to the following equipment: – A stable ring stand with a clamp – A spool of lightweight string – A set of small hooked spheres of various masses – A meterstick – A stopwatch – A protractor"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/112063/"
date_modified: "2026-04-20T09:11:49+00:00"
---

# A student is tasked with designing an experiment to determine the local acceleration due to gravity, \(g\), using a simple pendulum. The student has access to the following equipment:
– A stable ring stand with a clamp
– A spool of lightweight string
– A set of small hooked spheres of various masses
– A meterstick
– A stopwatch
– A protractor

A student is tasked with designing an experiment to determine the local acceleration due to gravity, \(g\), using a simple pendulum. The student has access to the following equipment:
- A stable ring stand with a clamp
- A spool of lightweight string
- A set of small hooked spheres of various masses
- A meterstick
- A stopwatch
- A protractor

**Part a)** **Identify** the quantities that must be measured to determine the acceleration due to gravity, \(g\). **Describe** an experimental procedure that could be used to collect the necessary data. Detail how the measurements will be made and explicitly state how the student can minimize uncertainty in the measurement of the pendulum's period. *(4 points)*

**Part b)** **Identify** which quantities should be graphed on the vertical and horizontal axes to produce a linear graph whose slope could be used to determine \(g\). *(1 points)*

**Part c)** The student performs the experiment and collects the data shown in the table below. | \(L \text{ (m)}\) | \(T \text{ (s)}\) |                    | |-------------------|-------------------|--------------------| | 0.20              | 0.90              |                    | | 0.40              | 1.27              |                    | | 0.60              | 1.55              |                    | | 0.80              | 1.80              |                    | | 1.00              | 2.01              |                    | *(5 points)*

**Part d)** A second student sets up the identical apparatus but releases the pendulum from an angle of \(60^\circ\) from the vertical, instead of a small angle. This student uses the same equation and data analysis method as the first student. **Indicate** whether the experimental value of \(g\) calculated by the second student will be greater than, less than, or equal to the actual acceleration due to gravity. - [ ] Greater than - [ ] Less than - [ ] Equal to **Justify** your answer using physical principles. *(2 points)*


*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/112063/*