Analysis of errors in a pendulum bob gravity experiments :

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze errors due to the angle of oscillation, air resistance and the number of oscillations in a pendulum bob gravity experiment. Most students at secondary school level have been asking physics teachers how errors arise due to the angle of oscillation, air resistance and the number of oscillations during the determination of acceleration due to gravity using a pendulum bob but no clear explanation and demonstration has always been done by the teachers, this has resulted into continuous failure in the examinations, some of these students have escaped their way and have now become teachers, lecturers and they are still explaining wrong facts. The research has been conducted successfully on determining the errors that normally arose due to air resistance, number of oscillations and angle of oscillations in secondary schools when performing pendulum bob experiments. This has been a very big problem which has resulted into many people failing. However, in this research many things have been discovered and the following recommendations have been put forth to the people who will be performing pendulum bob experiments; Experiments should be performed in a closed room to avoid air resistance, Small values of the number of oscillations for accuracy must be put into consideration and experiments should be performed at small angles to avoid errors due air resistance.