Regarding a ball rolling in a bowl, we can reduce the error in
oscillations as follows:
- Increase the 'smoothness' of the curvature of both the sphere
& the bowl. This will further reduce rolling resistance of the
sphere & prevent unwanted minute bumps or 'pimples' that affect
the accuracy of the determined oscillation.
- Again, reduce the rolling resistance of both the objects by
changing the materials used . But be careful not to make the
surfaces ultra smooth as the sphere rolling down the bowl due to
gravitational acceleration could lead to 'slipping' of the sphere.
Conduct trial and error methods to determine the best bet.
- Enclose the whole system in vacuum. Air adds drag to the sphere
when it is in motion. Eliminating it will reduce the error even
further when attempting to observe the experiment. However, note
that this can make the system 'undamped' if the system is a freely
oscillating pendulum. In the given system however, the frictional
force provides the necessary damping force, & will make the
sphere eventually stop after many oscillations.