Properties of Pendulums
Objective
To understand the properties of pendulums and how they can be used as timekeepers.
Difficulty
Procedure: Medium
Concept: Medium
Concept
Pendulums have been used for timekeeping for hundreds of years because of its properties.The swing of the pendulum is called an oscillation. There are several factors that effect the oscillation and in this experiment you will explore the effects of mass and length.
Materials
- Ring Stand
- Ring
- String
- Round weights 10 grams to 100 grams
- Ruler/Meter Stick
- Stop Watch
- Goggles for Eye Protection
Hypothesis
How will adding more weight effect the pendulum? How will length of the string effect the pendulum?
Procedure
- Set up the ring stand and ring so that the ring is over the edge of the table
- Attach the string to the ring and add the 10 gram weight
- Pull the weight up so that it makes a 45 degree angle
- Start the stop watch at the same time that you let go of the weight
- Leave your hand where you let go of the watch and measure the time it takes for the weight to return back to your hand -- one full swing
- Repeat this three times for each each weight, to obtain averages, with the exact same string
- Now pick one weight and repeat the same process with different lengths of string and keeping the weight constant.
Analysis
Calculate the averages for each trial and plot your results. Did the mass effect the rate of the pendulum? How did the string effect the rate of the pendulum?
Extensions
Explore the properties of pendulums. What else effects the the rate of a pendulum? How can you test it?