The student taped a 100 g mass to a metre rule. She set up the apparatus as shown in Diagram 2. She suspended the metre rule from a nail through a hole close to one end, so she could use the metre rule as a pendulum. The distance d is the distance between the nail and the 100 g mass.

You should include:
• any other apparatus required
• how she should use the apparatus
• how she could make it a fair test
• a risk assessment
• how she could make her results as accurate as possible. [6]

Please Use The Following Mark Scheme:

0 marks
No relevant content
Level 1 (1 – 2 marks)
A description of a method which would provide results which may not be valid
Level 2 (3 – 4 marks)
A clear description of a method enabling some valid results to be obtained. A safety factor is mentioned
Level 3 (5 – 6 marks)
A clear and detailed description of experiment. A safety factor is mentioned. Uncertainty is mentioned
examples of the physics points made in the response:
additional apparatus
• stopwatch
use of apparatus
• measure from hole to centre of the mass
• pull rule to one side, release
• time for 10 swings and repeat
• divide mean by 10
• change position of mass and repeat
fair test
• keep other factors constant
• time to same point on swing
risk assessment
• injury from sharp nail
• stand topple over
• rule hit someone
accuracy
• take more than 4 values of d
• estimate position of centre of slotted mass
• small amplitudes
• discard anomalous results
• use of fiducial marker