course PHY 232
Make a pendulum and count the cycles that occur in a minute at two lengths, one short, one medium and one long. Record the length (e.g, by tracing the short pendulum on your paper, by measuring the medium pendulum against your textbook, etc.).xxxx
Time things with the pendulum:
Time a marble down a one-nickel incline using the short pendulum.
Time a marble down a one-nickel incline using the long pendulum.
Time a marble down a nickel-dime incline using the short pendulum.
Time a marble down a nickel-dime incline using the long pendulum.
Can you distinguish between a one-nickel incline and a nickel-dime incline using the short pendulum? Yes it dose not take as many half cycles of the short pendulum for the marble to make it down the nickle-dime incline as it does on the single nickle incline.
Can you distinguish between a one-nickel incline and a nickel-dime incline using the long pendulum? No, to takes the marble a fraction of one half cycle of the long pendulun for the marble to travel down both the nickel incline and the nickel-dime incline.
What is the percent difference between 5.5 and 8?
The precent difference between 5.5 and 8 is approximately 31.25%
What is the smallest possible percent difference you think you could detect, using the pendulum, in the times required for the ball to travel down two ramps? About 10 %
What's the effect of one thin dime?
Roll a marble down a one-nickel incline and let it fall to the floor. Repeat until you can consistently hit the bottlecap.
Without changing the position of the bottlecap, go to a nickel-dime incline and repeat.
How much do you have to change the position of the bottlecap to succeed? Bt adding the dime the marble went about 1.75 inches further from the table leg when it it the ground.
Does this exercise distinguish the effect of one thin dime? Yes the dime made the marble travel father from the table leg as it headed toward the ground after rolling off the ramp.