Physics

Investigatory
Project
2024-25

PM SHRI KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA MYSURU

Name- Vaishnavi Tripathi

Under The Guidance – Mrs. Shri Lakshmi

Class- XI A

Roll No. - 11118

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Vaishnavi Tripathi of class XI A has

completed the investigatory project in physics titled “To Investigate
whether the energy of a simple pendulum is conserved using ticker
timer and tape” herself under the supervision and guidance of
physics teacher Mrs. Shri Lakshmi during the year 2024-25.

Signature of course teacher Signature of Principal

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would hereby acknowledge my sincere gratitude to all those

who helped me complete this project successfully.

First and foremost, I would like to thank my course teacher Mrs.

Shri Lakshmi for their constant support, valuable guidance and
encouragement throughout the process.

I would also like to extend my thanks to our school Principal Dr.

Nutan Punj of PM SHRI KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA
MYSURU for providing all the necessary facilities for this
project.

Finally, I would like to thank my family who motivated me and

boosted my moral. They helped me finalized the project within
the limited time frame.
 CONTENTS

I. AIM

II. APPARATUS/MATERIAL REQUIRED

III. PRINCIPLE

IV. PROCEDURE

V. OBSERVATION

VI. CALCULATION

VII. RESULT
AIM :
To investigate whether the energy of a simple pendulum is conserved.

APPARATUS / MATERIALS REQUIRED :

A tall laboratory clamp stands with clamps, a split cork, a brick (or any heavy
metallic weight) to be used as bob, strong cotton thread/ string (about 1.5 m to 2.0
m), stop-watch, ticker timer, paper tape, balance, wooden block, sellotape, meter
scale and graph paper.

PRINCIPLE:
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, though it can be
transformed from one form to another, and the sum of all forms of energies in the
universe remains constant (Law of conservation of energy). In any isolated
mechanical system with practically negligible/no dissipation of energy to
overcome viscous drag/air resistance / friction, (as in case of a pendulum), the sum
of the kinetic and potential energies remains constant.

For small angular amplitude (θ ≤ 15°), the pendulum executes simple harmonic
motion (SHM) with insignificant damping, i.e., loss of energy.

Hence, an oscillating simple pendulum provides a convenient arrangement to

investigate/ validate the law of conservation of energy for a mechanical system.

The oscillations of a simple pendulum of effective length L with mean position at

point A and extreme positions at points B and C, are shown in Fig. P 1.1. In the
extreme positions, i.e., at B and C the oscillating bob is raised to a certain height h
(= AD) above the mean position where it possesses maximum potential energy but
minimum kinetic energy. In the mean position, at A, it possesses maximum kinetic
energy and minimum potential energy. At any intermediate position i.e., at E and F
the bob will possess energy in the form of both kinetic and potential energies. The
effective length L (= l + r) of the pendulum is taken from the point of suspension O
to the Centre of gravity of the bob (Fig P 1.1; also refer Experiment E 6).
For small angular amplitudes (θ) (about 8° to 10°) the arc length EA = (FA) is
about the same as linear distance ED = (FD) = x, the points E and F are
symmetrically above pointing D.
From the geometry of the Fig. P 1.1, it follows
DF. DE = OD. DA
x × x = (L – h) h
For small values of x and h (and x << L and h << x)
h = x^2/L
Then the potential energy of the bob (brick) of mass m at point E (or F)
= mgh = mg x^2/L
The kinetic energy E possessed by the bob moving with velocity v at point E (or F)
is = ½ mv^2
Then total energy of the bob is given by
E = ½ mv^2 + mg/L x^2

Using this relation, now investigate whether the total energy E of the oscillating
simple pendulum remains constant.
 Fig. P 1.1: An oscillating pendulum

DEVICE FOR MEASURING SHORT TIME INTERVALS IN THE

LABORATORY: TICKER TIMER
Ticker-timer is a device used for the measurement of short time intervals in the
laboratory. It can measure short time intervals of about 0.02s to much higher
degree of accuracy as compared to that of a stop-watch (with least count of 0.1s).
Ticker-timers are available in different designs.
A simple type of ticker-timer, as shown in Fig.P1.2, consists of a steel/metallic
strip T which can be made to vibrate at a known frequency with the help of an
electromagnet. The pointed hammer of the vibrating steel strip, T strikes a small
carbon paper disc C under which a paper tape, is pulled by the oscillating object.
The dot marks are marked on the paper tape by the pointed hammer when the strip
vibrates. The dot marks are obtained on the paper tape at regular (or equal)
intervals of time. Each dot mark refers to a complete vibration of the vibrating steel
strip. The time interval between the two consecutive dot marks can be taken as a
unit of time for a tick. The time period of the vibrating strip is obtained from its
given (known) frequency of vibration.
When it is run on 6V step-down ac supply, its frequency is the same as that of ac
mains (50 Hz, in India).
In this way, the measured time interval for one tick (between the two consecutive
dot marks) can be converted into the basic unit, second, for time measurement.
Thus, the ticker-timer can be used to measure accurately time interval of the order
of 0.02 s in the laboratory.

Fig. P1.2: Ticker-timer

PROCEDURE :
1. Find the mass of the pendulum bob.
2. Determine r and l by meter scale.
The length of the pendulum L = l + r.
3. Take the ticker-timer and place it at about the same level as the Centre of the
bob as shown in Fig. P 1.3. Fix the ticker-timer on a wooden block with tape, to
ensure that its position is not disturbed when tape is pulled through it.
4. Attach the tip of the paper tape of the ticker-timer to the bob with the help of
sellotape such that it is horizontal and lies in the plane in which Centre of gravity
of the bob lies in its rest position.
5. Pull the bob towards the timer such that its angular displacement (θ < 10o) is
about one tenth of its length from the vertical position. Take care that the ticker
tape is sufficiently light and is so adjusted that it easily moves by the pull of bob as
soon as it begins to move.
6. Start the ticker-timer carefully and let the bob oscillate. While the bob moves
towards the other side, it pulls the paper tape through the ticker-timer. Ticker
timer, thus, records the positions of the bob at successive time intervals.
7. Switch off the ticker-timer when the brick reaches the other extreme end. Take
out the paper tape and examine it. Extreme dot marks on the record of the tape
represent the extreme positions B and C of the pendulum. The Centre point A of
this half oscillation is the Centre of the two extreme dot marks, and may be marked
by the half meter scale, as in Fig. P1.4.
8. Measure the displacements of the bob corresponding to each dot (about 10 to 12)
on either side from the Centre marked A as x1, x2, x3, ... Find the time t1, t2, t3, ...
when each selected dot was made by counting the number of dots from the central
point A, representing the mean position of the pendulum. If central point A is not
coinciding with a dot marked by the ticker-timer, appropriate fraction of time-
period of ticker-timer has to be added for finding correct t1, t2, t3, ...
9. Record observations in the tabular form in SI units and proper significant
figures.
10. Calculate the corresponding velocity for each selected position of the dot as vi
(= ∆xi / ∆ti ). For this take one earlier and one later dot. The distance between
these two dots is ∆xi and ∆ti is time to cover this distance. Then find magnitude
of kinetic energy ½ mv^2 = m/2 ∆x^2/∆t and potential energy
mghi [= mg (xi 2/L) ] of the pendulum bob. Find the sum of kinetic and potential
energies in each case. Express the result in SI units and proper significant figures.
11. Plot a graph between the displacement (xi ) of the pendulum bob (distance of
dots from the central dot) against the time.
12. Find the velocity (v) from the slope of the graph at five or six points on the left
and also on the right of the mean position.
Calculate the corresponding kinetic energy (mv2/2 ) for each position of the points
on the graph.
13. Plot another graph between kinetic energy and the position (x) of the bob. Find
out the position of the point for which kinetic energy is minimum.
14. Calculate also the potential energy, PE mg(=mg x^2/L), at the corresponding
points at which you have calculated the kinetic energy. Plot the graph of potential
energy (PE) against the displacement position (x) on the same graph on which you
have plotted kinetic energy versus position graph.
15. Find the total mechanical energy E as the sum of kinetic energy and potential
energy of the pendulum at each of the displacement positions x. Express the result
in SI units with proper significant figures. Plot also a graph between the total
mechanical energy E against displacement position (x) of the pendulum on the
same graph on which you have plotted the graphs in Steps 13 and 14,
i.e., for K.E. and P.E.

Fig. P 1.3: Experimental setup for studying conservation of energy

Fig. P 1.4: Position of the oscillating bob marked on paper tape

OBSERVATIONS :
Measuring the mass of bob and effective length of simple
pendulum
(a) Effective length of the simple pendulum
Least count of the meter scale = ... mm = ... cm
Length of the top of the brick from the point of suspension,
l = ... cm = ... m
Diameter of the bob, 2r = ... cm
Effective length of the simple pendulum L = (l + r) = ... cm = ... m
(b) Mass of the ... g
Time period (T) of ticker-timer = ... s
Fraction of T to be added for finding corrected Ti on left = ...
Fraction of T to be added for finding corrected Ti on right = ...
(c) Plotting a graph between displacement and time
Take time t along x-axis and displacement x along y-axis, using the
observed values from Table P1.1. Choose suitable scales on these axes
to represent t and x.
CALCULATION:

(i) Find out from the graph (Fig. P1.5), the velocity of bob at five or six different
points on the either side of the mean position O of the graph.

Compute the values of kinetic energy, using Eq. (P1.3), corresponding to each
value of velocity obtained from the graph. Record these values in Table P1.2.

(ii) Plot a graph by taking displacement (distance) x along x-axis and kinetic
energy (K.E.) along y-axis using the values from Table P1.2 as shown in Fig. P1.6.

(iii) Compute the values of potential energy using Eq. (P1.2), for each value of
displacement in Step (ii) above.
(iv) Plot a graph by taking displacement (distance) x along x-axis and potential
energy (P.E.) along y-axis on the same graph (Fig. P1.6).

(v) Compute the total energy ET as the sum of the kinetic energy and potential
energy at each of the displacement positions, x.

Plot a graph by taking the displacement along x-axis and total energy ET along y-
axis on the same graph Fig. P1.6
RESULT:

The total energy, as the sum of kinetic and potential energies, of the bob of the
simple pendulum is conserved (remains the same) at all the points along its path.