You carried out an experiment to measure g, the acceleration due to gravity - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2009

The measurements taken during the experiment included:

1. Distance: The length of the fall for the falling object (or pendulum).
2. Time: The duration it took for the object to fall or for one complete oscillation of the pendulum to occur.
3. Length of the pendulum: If applicable, this is crucial for determining gravitational acceleration from the pendulum's period.

To measure the time, the following steps were undertaken:

1. Set up the apparatus securely, ensuring that the falling object or pendulum can move freely.
2. One participant was responsible for starting the timer while another released the object simultaneously (or started the pendulum).
3. Record the time until the object touches the ground or the pendulum completes its swing.
4. Repeat this process several times to obtain an average time for reliability. The average time helps to reduce the impact of any human reaction variance.

The value of g (acceleration due to gravity) can be calculated using the following formula:

$g = \frac{2h}{t^2}$

Where:

• h is the distance the object falls (or length of the pendulum), and
• t is the average time taken for the fall.

In the case of a pendulum, the formula could also be based on: $g = \frac{4\pi^2L}{T^2}$ Where:

• L is the length of the pendulum and T is the period of oscillation.

One important precaution taken to ensure accurate results was to repeat the experiment several times and calculate the average of the measurements. This helps to mitigate any anomalies or errors that may occur during a single trial. Additionally, ensuring that the timer is started precisely at the moment of release of the object or pendulum is crucial for accuracy.