THE SIMPLE PENDULUM

A simple pendulum is an idealized model consisting of a point mass suspended by

a massless, unstretchable string. When the point mass is pulled to one side of its
straight down equilibrium position and released, it oscillates about the equilibrium
position.

The path of the point mass (sometimes called a pendulum bob) is not a straight
line but the arc of a circle with radius L equal to the length of the string.
Calculations for the harmonic motion properties of simple pendulum do not
involve the particle mass (compared to spring harmonic motion calculations) since
the restoring force is proportional to the mass and therefore cancels out when
doing a force balance.

Equations for the Simple Pendulum:

*angular frequency

*frequency, f and period, T

Engr. DDapiaoen, BSChE

Problems:
1. A woman sits in a swing of length 3.0 m.What is the period of oscillation of this swing?
Given:
L = 3.0 m
Req’d: T, period
Sol’n:

2. The “seconds” pendulum in a pendulum clock built for an astronomical observatory has a period of exactly 2.0 s,
so each one-way motion of the pendulum takes exactly 1.0 s. What is the length of such a “seconds” pendulum
at a place where the acceleration of gravity is g = 9.81 m/s2? At a place where the acceleration of gravity is 9.79
m/s2?

Given:
T = 2.0 s
g1 = 9.81 m/s2
g2 = 9.79 m/s2

Req’d: a. L @ g1 = 9.81 m/s2

b. L @ g2 = 9.79 m/s2

Sol’n:

a. L @ g1 = 9.81 m/s2

b. L @ g2 = 9.79 m/s2

Engr. DDapiaoen, BSChE