- #1
HalcyonicBlues
- 7
- 0
I'm having trouble understanding what accelerometers really measure. In observing a simple gravity pendulum, the accelerometer recorded this data (jpeg image attached) which is acceleration in the vertical direction (supposedly).
Now I've been told all sorts of things, like that the accelerometer measures g-forces, not acceleration (and what's the difference? My physics teacher told me there was no difference - let's hope she doesn't find this post!).
If the accelerometer measures acceleration due to gravity (which I thought it would, since it's a gravity-driven pendulum), then shouldn't the data be flat-lined at 9.8?
Looking at the textbook pendulum formula
[itex]
T = 2 \pi \sqrt{\frac{l}{g}}
[/itex]
If the acceleration (g) changes within a period, then wouldn't the period value you calculate be different depending on what value you used? (if that made any sense)
Now I've been told all sorts of things, like that the accelerometer measures g-forces, not acceleration (and what's the difference? My physics teacher told me there was no difference - let's hope she doesn't find this post!).
If the accelerometer measures acceleration due to gravity (which I thought it would, since it's a gravity-driven pendulum), then shouldn't the data be flat-lined at 9.8?
Looking at the textbook pendulum formula
[itex]
T = 2 \pi \sqrt{\frac{l}{g}}
[/itex]
If the acceleration (g) changes within a period, then wouldn't the period value you calculate be different depending on what value you used? (if that made any sense)