Pendulums

Oscillation

One complete to-and-fro motion (A->B->C->B->A) or (B->C->B->A->B)

Period

Time taken for one complete oscillation

Classic Pendulum Questions

1a. Describe an experiment to show how the period of a pendulum can be determined.

• The simple pendulum is made to oscillate at a small angle.
• When the oscillation is steady, the time taken for 20 oscillations is measured using a stopwatch.
• The measurement is repeated and the average is calculated.
• The period of the pendulum is given by average time for 20 oscillations divided by 20.

1b. State the precautions you would take for the experiment.

• Ensure that the oscillation is steady before starting to time.
• Ensure that the angular displacement of the bob is less than 10 degrees.