Physical Pendulum

By Jitender Singh on Nov 15, 2019

A physical pendulum is a rigid body pivoted at the point O. When displaced slightly, it executes angular simple harmonic motion
in the vertical plane with a time period

I
T = 2π√
mgl

where I is the moment of inertia about the axis of rotation passing through the point of suspension O and l is the distance of
the centre of mass C from the point O.

θ
l

C
mg
sin
θ
θ
cos
mg

mg

The Time Period of a Physical Pendulum is T = 2π√I/mgl.

The restoring torque on the physical pendulum about the point O is τ = mgl sin θ. The pendulum rotates about a fixed axis
through O. The relation τ = Iα gives equation of motion of the physical pendulum

d2 θ mgl sin θ mgl

2
=− ≈− θ
dt I I
This is the differential equation for angular SHM. Its solution with initial condition θ = θ0 and θ̇ = 0 (pendulum released from
initial angle θ0 ) is

θ = θ0 cos(ωt)

A physical pendulum can be used to measure acceleration due to gravity g (similar to simple pendulum). The physical
pendulum is also used to measure the moment of inertia of a body.

Solved Problems on Physical Pendulum

Problem from IIT JEE 2011
A metal rod of length L and mass m is pivoted at one end. A thin disc of mass M and radius R(< L) is attached at its centre to
the free end of rod. Consider the two ways the disc is attached. (Case A) The disc is not free to rotate about its centre, and
(Case B) the disc is free to rotate about its centre. The rod-disc system performs SHM in vertical plane after being released
:
 from the same displaced position. Which of the following statement(s) is (are) true?

A. restoring torque in case A = restoring torque in case B.

B. restoring torque in case A < restoring torque in case B.
C. Angular frequency of case A > Angular frequency of case B.
D. Angular frequency of case A < Angular frequency of case B.

M+m/2
Solution: Consider motion of the centre of mass C located at a distance rC = M+m L from the pivot point O.

θ
2
L/
rC

•
L
C•
mg

Mg

The weight of disc-rod system, (M + m)g, acts at C giving an anticlockwise restoring torque about O,

τ = (M + m)grC sin θ
= (M + m/2) gL sin θ,

where θ is angular displacement. Since forces remain the same, restoring torques are equal in both, case A and case B. Since
system is released from the same position, initial potential energy of the system is equal in both the cases i.e., UAi = UBi . Initial
i = K i = 0. The potential energy at the lowest point is also zero i.e.,
kinetic energy is zero in both the cases i.e., KA B
f f f f f f f f
UA = UB = 0. The energy conservation, UAi + KAi = UA + KA and UBi + KBi = UB + KB , gives KA = KB . In Case A, the
disc is rigidly fixed to the rod and the disc-rod system has pure rotational motion about an axis passing through O. Thus,
f 1 2
KA = 2 I O ωA

2 ( 3 mL + 12 MR2 + ML2 ) ω2A

1 1 2
=

= ( 16 mL2 + 12 ML2 + 14 MR2 ) ω2A .

In Case B, the rod undergoes pure rotation about O and the disc has both translation and rotation. The kinetic energy of the rod
is

f 1 2
KB,rod = 2 IO,rod ωB
1 1 2 2 1 2 2
= 2 3 mL ωB = 6 mL ωB ,

and the kinetic energy of the disc is

f 1 2 1 2
KB,disc = 2 Mvcm + 2 Icm ω
1 2 1 1 2 2
= 2 M(LωB ) + 2 2 MR ω
1 2 2 1 2 2
= 2 ML ωB + 4 MR ω ,
:
 2 B 4

f f f f f
where ω is the angular velocity of the disc. Using, KB = KB,rod + KB,disc and equating KA to KB , we get

3 MR2
ω2B = ω2A + ⋅ (ω2 − ω2 ) .
2 mL + 3MR2 A
2

Now, consider the motion of the disc alone. When released, the disc was at rest with its angular velocity ω = 0 and the angular
momentum about its centre of mass L = Icm ω = 0. There is no external torque on the disc about its centre of mass because
the disc is free to rotate and its weight pass through the centre of mass. Thus, angular momentum of the disc about its centre
of mass is conserved i.e., angular momentum and angular velocity of the disc always remains zero. Substitute ω = 0 in above
equation to get ωB > ωA .

Problem to find Suspension Point that Minimizes the Time Period

A thin disc of radius r and mass m is suspended as a pendulum in a vertical plane from a point O located at a distance x above
its center. It undergoes small angular oscillations. For what value of x, the amplitude of angular acceleration of the disc is
minimum?

A. r/√2
B. r/√3
C. r
D. √3r/2

Solution: Consider a time instant when angular displacement of the disc is θ (see figure). The forces acting on the disc are its
weight mg at its centre of mass C and the reaction R at the pivot point O.

O
x
θ

r
mg

Resolve mg along and perpendicular to OC. The torque on the disc about the fixed point O is given by

τO = mgx sin θ, (clockwise).

The angular acceleration of the disc is given by

τO mgx sin θ 2gx

α= = 2 2
= 2 sin θ,
IO mr /2 + mx r + 2x2

where we used parallel axis theorem to get moment of inertia of the disc about the horizontal axis passing through O. Note that
θ varies with time. The amplitude of the angular acceleration of the disc is
2gx
α0 = .
r2 + 2x2
Differentiate α0 with x and equate the derivative to zero to get x at which α0 attain its maximum i.e.,

2 (4 ) − 2 ( 2 + 2 2)
:
 dα0 2gx(4x) − 2g(r2 + 2x2 )
= = 0,
dx (r2 + 2x2 )2

which gives x = r/√2. We encourage you to show that the disc undergoes SHM. The frequency of oscillations is maximum at
x = r/√2.

Problem on Centre of Percussion and Kater's Pendulum

A rigid body can rotate about a fixed point O as shown in the figure. The moment of inertia of the body about the point O is I0
and the distance between O and the centre of mass C of the body is d. A force F is applied to the body perpendicular to the line
joining O and the centre of mass, at a distance x from O. Find the distance x for which there will be no reaction at the point O in
the direction of F. Neglect gravity.

O
•

d
x
C•

•P
F

A. d
B. 2IO /(md)
C. d/2
D. IO /(md)

Solution: Let reaction force at the pivot point O is zero. The torque about the fixed point O is τO = xF (counter clock wise).
Use τO = IO α to get the angular acceleration of the body

α = xF /IO .

The torque about the centre of mass C is τC = (x − d)F . Use τC = IC α to get

(x − d)F (x − d)F
α= = ,
IC IO − md 2

where we used parallel axis theorem, IO = IC + md 2 , to get moment of inertia of the body about an axis passing through the
centre of mass C. Eliminate α from above equations to get x = IO /(md).

The point P is called centre of percussion of the body. If line of action of the force F is perpendicular to OC and passes through
P then reaction force at the point O is zero. Let us see some real life situations where centre of percussion plays an important
role.

In the game of cricket, if you hold the bat at O and the ball hits at the centre of percussion P then you feel comfortable because
reaction force at your hands is zero. If the ball hits at some other point than you feel JhanJhanaHat (stinging) in your hands.

Another situation is Kater's reversible pendulum. The body oscillate under the action of gravity if it is suspended from a point.
The oscillation frequency is same whether you suspend the body from the point O or from the point P.

More Problems on Physical Pendulum

A Ring Hanging from a Peg
:
 A physical pendulum consists of a ring of radius R and mass m. The ring is pivoted at point on its perimeter. The ring is pulled
out such that its center of mass makes a small angle θ0 from the vertical and released from rest.

θ
r

mg

a. What is the angular frequency of oscillation?

b. What is the angular speed of the ring at the bottom of its swing?

A Hanging Metre Stick

A physical pendulum consists of a meter stick that is pivoted at a small hole drilled through the stick at a distance d from the 50
cm mark. The period of oscillation is 2.5 s. Find d.

Disc Attached to a Light Rod

A physical pendulum consists of a disc of mass m = 1 kg and radius R = 5 cm fixed at the end of a massless rod. The other
end of the rod is pivoted about point P on the ceiling. The distance from the pivot point to the center of mass of the bob is l = 4
m. Initially the bob is released from rest from a small angle θ0 with respect to the vertical. Find the period of the bob?

Questions on Physical Pendulum

Question 1: In an experiment to measure the acceleration due to gravity, a metre stick of mass m and length L was used as a
physical pendulum. Multiple small holes are drilled in the metre stick to suspend it from different points. A student measured
the time period T for different l (by suspending metre stick from different holes). Which of the following statement is correct

A. The graph between T 2 l and l2 is a straight line.

B. The graph between T 2 and 1/l is a straight line.
C. The graph between T 2 and l is a rectangular hyperbola.
D. The graph between T 2 and 1/l is a rectangular hyperbola.
Select and click to check answer
:
 Question 2: Three physical pendulums A, B, and C, of masses m0 , 2m0 and 3m0 respectively, have the same shape and the
same dimensions. Which of the following is correct

A. The time period of A is maximum

B. The time period of B is maximum
C. The time period of C is maximum
D. All have the same time period
Select and click to check answer

Question 3: Three physical pendulums consisting of identical uniform spheres of the same mass m that are rigidly connected
by identical rods of length l and negligible mass. Each pendulum is vertical and can pivot about suspension point P. The
increasing order of their time periods is?

P P

l l l

l l

(i) (ii) (iii)

A. (iii), (i), (ii).

B. (ii), (i), (iii).
C. (i), (iii), (ii).
D. (ii), (iii), (i).
Select and click to check answer

Related Topics
1. Linear and Angular SHM
2. Dynamics of rigid bodies with fixed axis of rotation

References and External Links

1. IIT JEE Physics by Jitender Singh and Shraddhesh Chaturvedi
2. 300 SOlved Problems on Rotational Mechanics by Jitender Singh and Shraddhesh Chaturvedi
3. Concepts of Physics Part 1 by HC Verma (Link to Amazon)
:
 4. Physical pendulum experiments to enhance the understanding of moments of inertia and simple harmonic motion (paper,
pdf)
5. Physical Pendulums and Small Oscillations (MIT, pdf)

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