🔬 Physics experiments
Simple pendulum
Change the length and gravity; measure the time period.
Simple pendulum
💬 Questions and answers
1What am I looking at?
Answer: A bob on a string swinging from a fixed support.
2What are its parts? (click a part to identify it)
Answer: Support, string, bob, length L and amplitude.
3How does it work?
Answer: Gravity pulls the bob back towards the middle, so it swings to and fro. The time for one complete swing is the time period T.
4Why is it important?
Answer: Pendulums were used in clocks and show how to design a fair experiment by changing one variable at a time.
5What happens if I change something? (use the sliders)
Answer: Change the length or the gravity (Moon, Mars, Jupiter) and compare the time period.
6What should I remember for the exam?
Answer: T = 2π√(L/g). T increases with length and does not depend on the mass of the bob or (for small swings) the amplitude.