Question 23M.3.SL.TZ1.2
| Date | May 2023 | Marks available | [Maximum mark: 7] | Reference code | 23M.3.SL.TZ1.2 |
| Level | SL | Paper | 3 | Time zone | TZ1 |
| Command term | Determine, State, Suggest | Question number | 2 | Adapted from | N/A |
A student wants to verify the relation T = 2 between the period T of a simple pendulum and the length L of the pendulum, where g is the acceleration of free fall. The student operates a stopwatch to measure one oscillation and a millimeter ruler to measure the length of the pendulum.
State, for this experiment,
one variable that must be controlled,
[1]
mass OR diameter OR material of bob OR « initial » amplitude/angle ✓
Do not allow statements about rulers, stopwatches, string, number of oscillations, constant gravity.
the main source of error in T.
[1]
student’s reaction time «in starting and stopping stopwatch» / starting/stopping stopwatch ✓
To determine T more precisely, the student measures the total time for 20 oscillations and divides by 20.
Suggest why this is preferable to measuring the time for just one oscillation.
[2]
it reduces «the random» error/uncertainty ✓
by a factor of 20 «compared to that in a single period measurement» ✓
For MP1, allow increasing accuracy/precision.
Award [0] for answers related to number of trials, 20 measurements of one period.
The student plots a graph with L on the horizontal axis. State the variable that must be plotted on the vertical axis in order to obtain a line of best fit that is straight.
[1]
T2 ✓
Calculations using the data of the experiment show that g = 9.71622 m s−2 with a percentage uncertainty of 8 %. Determine the value of g that can be obtained from this experiment. Include the absolute uncertainty in g to one significant figure.
[2]
g = 9.7 «m s−2» ✓
Δg = 0.8 «m s−2» ✓