A report on a simple pendulum contains this methods paragraph: "The period of the…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Scientific Practice & Experimental Methods · Records, communication and the epistemology of evidence · Records, communication and the epistemology of evidence
Measurement and Method, Ch Writing the result, and the integrity of the data behind it
Problem
A report on a simple pendulum contains this methods paragraph: "The period of the pendulum was measured with a stopwatch, timing several swings and taking the average." The notebook for the session records: a digital stopwatch of resolution 0.01s; the time for 20 complete swings timed in one go, then divided by 20 to give one period; this repeated for N=10 independent trials; the pendulum released from an angular amplitude kept below 10∘; and the string length measured from the point of suspension to the centre of the bob.
((a)) List at least four specific facts missing from the printed paragraph that a stranger would need to repeat the measurement and reach the same period with the same uncertainty.
((b)) Rewrite the paragraph so that it passes the repeatability test.