Official acceleration due to gravity in Brighton, UK?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around finding the official acceleration due to gravity in Brighton, UK, particularly for a lab report. Participants explore various methods to obtain this information, including equations and references, while addressing factors that may influence the local value of gravity.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Jon seeks the official acceleration due to gravity in Brighton for a lab report, having calculated it using a pendulum experiment.
  • One participant suggests that official figures might be held by educational institutions or science centers in the UK.
  • A link to an equation approximating gravity as a function of altitude is provided as a potential alternative solution.
  • Another participant notes that latitude, rather than altitude, significantly influences the local value of gravity in Brighton.
  • Discussion includes the impact of local geology on gravity measurements, with denser volcanic rock potentially causing a positive anomaly in gravity readings.
  • Participants express uncertainty about the origin of the formula referenced for gravity calculations, with one stating they have no clue where it came from.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the official figure for gravity in Brighton, and multiple views regarding the influencing factors on gravity measurements are presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the need for citations for formulas and the influence of local geological conditions, but do not resolve the specifics of these factors or the exact source of the formula discussed.

cording12
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Hey guys,

I'm newly registered on the forums but have been reading for ages and all the stuff is hugely useful but alas I am finally stuck and can't find any answers to my question!

Now for a lab report I have calculated the acceleration due to gravity using the equation:

g=(2π/m)^2

This is something I did specifically for a report using the slope of a chart I created with some figures from a basic pendulum.

Now for the top marks I need to be able to compare my answer with the official figures for the acceleration due to gravity in Brighton, UK. My lecturer said there is definitely one and other people in my class found it but I never got the chance to speak to them and this is due in tomorrow!

Any help or suggestions on how to find it would be massively appreciated!

Thanks,

Jon
 
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The official figures would most likely be held by an institution of higher education in the UK, or a science centre or something similar to that. I don't know where for sure you could find it.

This link has an equation that approximates gravity as a function of altitude above sea level, so if you are able to find your altitude (maybe google Earth or something like that), then this might be a plan B solution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_of_Earth#Altitude
 
Oh brilliant that formula could be exactly what I'm looking for! I've spent hours google'ing and bing'ing it and so far came up with nothing even close to an official figure.

Would you by any chance know where that formula originally came from? I have to reference all formula's and Wikipedia isn't recognised at a citation ><

Thanks a million!
 
For Brighton, it's not so much the altitude (Brighton is mostly close to sea level) as the latitude which will have more influence on the local value of g.
 
This link has the Int. Gravity Formula:
http://geophysics.ou.edu/solid_earth/notes/potential/igf.htm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SteamKing said:
For Brighton, it's not so much the altitude (Brighton is mostly close to sea level) as the latitude which will have more influence on the local value of g.

and even more so what the local geology is in that region ie. rock type
example an area of continental rock is going to have a lower local value of g
than what an area of volcanics would. that is volcanic rock is denser and produces a positive anomaly

cheers
Dave
 
cording12 said:
Oh brilliant that formula could be exactly what I'm looking for! I've spent hours google'ing and bing'ing it and so far came up with nothing even close to an official figure.

Would you by any chance know where that formula originally came from? I have to reference all formula's and Wikipedia isn't recognised at a citation ><

Thanks a million!

No clue where it came from. sorry
 

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