A Simple Pendulum Determination of the Gravitational Constant
Classical Physics
2014-11-21 v3 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Abstract
We determined the Newtonian Constant of Gravitation G by interferometrically measuring the change in spacing between two free-hanging pendulum masses caused by the gravitational field from large tungsten source masses. We find a value for G of (6.672 34 +/- 0.000 14) x 10^-11 m^3 kg^-1 s^-2. This value is in good agreement with the 1986 Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) value of (6.672 59 +/- 0.000 85) x 10^-11 m^3 kg^-1 s^-2 [Rev. Mod. Phys. 59, 1121 (1987)] but differs from some more recent determinations as well as the latest CODATA recommendation of (6.674 28 +/- 0.000 67) x 10^-11 m^3 kg^-1 s^-2 [Rev. Mod. Phys. 80, 633 (2008)].
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1008.3203,
title = {A Simple Pendulum Determination of the Gravitational Constant},
author = {Harold V. Parks and James E. Faller},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1008.3203},
year = {2014}
}
Comments
10 pages, 2 figures