Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A pendulum is long. (a) Find its period for small swings. (b) It is now let go from . For a wide swing, a better formula is , with in radians. Find the period. (c) By what percentage is it longer than ?
A simple pendulum of length , for small angles:
In a lift or a car, use the gravity the bob feels, : in a lift speeding up upwards, speeding up downwards.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
(a) Small swings. .
(b) A wide swing. rad. Then . So
(c) The increase. of , which is about .
Why? For a wide swing, is smaller than . The pull back is weaker than the simple formula assumes, so the bob takes longer. The program follows the true motion step by step and gives times , very close.
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…