The discussion confirms that gravity approximates 9.8 meters per second squared under ideal conditions, specifically in a vacuum where air resistance is eliminated. Participants emphasize the necessity of controlling for variables such as air friction and latitude variations to achieve accurate measurements. Traditional methods, including the use of ticker tape and pendulum experiments, are recommended for approximating gravitational acceleration. The consensus is that while the proposed methods yield first-order approximations, measurement errors may overshadow the effects of air resistance unless advanced equipment is utilized.
PREREQUISITESStudents of physics, educators conducting experiments on gravity, and anyone interested in the practical applications of gravitational measurement techniques.
kushan said:the experiment won't give exactly 9.8 , since air friction is also there .
You need vacuum or vacuum like condition for 9.8 .
And g also varies with latitudes .
kushan said:, you need to eliminate air resistance
Integral said:Your measurement errors will be greater then the effects of air resistance unless you have some pretty exotic equipment.
The traditional method for doing this was to fasten a strip of waxed paper tape to your weight and feed it through a sparker with a know rate. The distance between the dots give you the displacement in fixed time intervals.