1

Department of Education
Region VI – Western Visayas
Schools Division of Iloilo
BALASAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Balasan, Iloilo

SELF- LEARNING MODULE FOR

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

GENERAL PHYSICS 1
(X. Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation,
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion and Simple
Harmonic Motion)

Grade Level: 12
Specialized Subject for STEM
First Semester (Week 10)
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HOW TO USE THIS MODULE

Before you start answering this module, please set aside other tasks that will disturb you
while enjoying the lessons. Read the simple instructions below to successfully enjoy the objectives
of this kit. Have fun!
1. Use this module with care. Read with understanding the contents of this module and
follow carefully all the instructions indicated in every page of this module.
2. Do not write anything on your module. Write on your notebook the concepts about the
lessons. Writing enhances learning, that is important to develop and keep in mind.

3. Perform all the provided activities in the module (write your answer in your answer sheet
– one whole sheet of paper which your teacher facilitator will gather every week). Ask the
teacher if there are concepts which are confusing to you.
4. BE HONEST, answer the questions and activities by yourself, with the help of your
parent/guardian and your subject teacher, but PLEASE DON’T JUST COPY PASTE THE
WORK OF YOUR CLASSMATES – THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. Analyze conceptually the
assessment and apply what you have learned.
5. Make your own summary and reflection about the lessons that you have learned in this
module.

PP Parts of the Module

I. INTRODUCTION - This section will give you a background and an overview of the lesson.
II. LEARNING COMPETENCIES - these are the target objectives that you will be able to know after
completing the lessons in the module.
II.a. Materials – list the needed things if there are any.
III. KEYWORDS- these provide the definitions of important or foreign words which might not be
familiar to you.
IV. REVIEW - this section will measure what learnings and skills have you understand from the
previous lessons.
V. PRE-ACTIVITY- this is a short activity or questions which will also serve as a springboard or
motivation for the new topic to be discussed.

VI. CONTENT LECTURES (WITH EXERCISES) – these contain the important concepts which you must
learn, with examples and exercises, answer the questions and exercises with this symbol
(copy the title first of the topic/exercise and answer these in your answer sheet - for you to
practice and apply if you have grasped the lesson.

VII. ASSESSMENT – this will test what you have learned in the lesson. ANSWER THIS
INDEPENDENTLY AND HONESTLY.
VIII. SUMMARY AND REFLECTION – you will be the one who will summarize the lesson. This will help
you to remember what you have learned in this module, write this in your notebook which
your subject teacher will check later.
IX. ENRICHMENT – this is additional task, notes or information that you can use.
X. REFERENCES – list the different books or websites used by your teacher in doing this module.
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X. Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, Kepler’s

Laws of Planetary Motion and Simple
Harmonic Motion
I. INTRODUCTION:

Sir Isaac Newton, an English scientist and mathematician, was born in the
year when Galileo died. He proposed a theory on the causes of motion of any object
such as that of a car, the moon and the planets. The central ideas
in his theory includes his three laws of motion and the law of
universal gravitation.
Like Galileo, Newton was interested in experimental
science and continued Galileo’s investigations. He became
interested in the motion of the celestial bodies – the planets and
the moon. He started by asking himself why the planets continue
to move around the sun, and the moon around the planet. He
wondered about the nature of the force that causes these objects
in the universe to be in motion.
In this module you will learn Newton’s law of Universal gravitation, as well as
Kepler’s laws of Planetary motion and the basics of simple harmonic motion.

II. LEARNING COMPETENCIES

At the end of this module you must be able to:

1. Use Newton’s law of gravitation to infer gravitational force, weight, and
acceleration due to gravity
2. Calculate quantities related to planetary or satellite motion, and
3. For circular orbits, relate Kepler’s laws of planetary motion to
Newton’s law of gravitation.
4. State and apply Hooke’s law.
5. Calculate the period and the frequency of spring mass, and simple
pendulum.
Materials needed: calculator

III. KEYWORDS

Amplitude (A) refers to the magnitude of the maximum displacement or the

maximum distance of a mass or particle from its equilibrium position.
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Astronomical Unit (a.u) - is equal to the distance from the earth to the sun –
=1.4957 x 1011 m.
Ellipse – is a special curve in which the sum of the distances from every point on the
curve to two other points is a constant.
Escape speed – the required speed for an object to send it off and escape
permanently from the earth.
Foci – plural of focus, here it refers to the focus of an ellipse, which in the case of
our solar system corresponds to the sun.
Frequency (f) is the number of cycles per second, a cycle is a complete round trip or
motion through a complete oscillation.
Hooke's Law is a principle in physics that states that the force needed to extend or
compress a spring by some distance is proportional to that distance.
Law of Equal areas - describes the speed at which any given planet will move while
orbiting the sun.
Periodic motion - a repeated motion that occurs back and forth over the same path.
Restoring force - the ability to return to a normal shape after experiencing
distortion.

IV. REVIEW

Recall: Newton’s laws of motion, the difference between mass and weight
and acceleration due to gravity.

V. PRE-ACTIVITY

AGREE OR DISAGREE ???

Let’s say that the following statements were said by the great Sir Isaac
Newton, will you agree or disagree with him?

1.) Mahirap talaga ang LDR or Long Distance relationship,

kasi nababawasan ang attraction pag malayo kayo sa isa’t isa
2. Everything that falls is affected by gravity, except from
falling in love.
3. What goes up must come down.
4. Alam mo kung bakit di ka crush ng crush mo?
Kasi attracted lang sya sayo..
5. Kapag may nanuntok sayo, wag kang maghiganti,
maniwala ka sa 3rd law of motion ko at sa karma.
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VI. CONTENT LECTURES with EXERCISES

Some said that a lot of people have seen falling

apples, but it was only Newton who asked “why?”.
According to legend, Newton, while sitting in his
garden, observed an apple fall from a tree. He thought
that if the force of gravity can act at the treetop and on
the objects at the mountain top, then it is possible that
this force also acts on celestial bodies.
Newton compared the motion of the planets with
that of a ball tied in one end of a string and whirled
around by the other end. He explained that the hand
exerts a force on the string (Fh), pulling the ball toward
the hand to keep it from flying off into space. He considered that a force similar to
Fh is what keeps the moon traveling in orbit around the Earth. With this idea in
mind, he postulated an attractive force between the sun and the planets (or the
planets and the moon) which he called gravitational force. Gravitation takes place
among all objects in the universe because of their masses.

The Law of Universal Gravitation

Newton was able to arrive at the form of the law of universal gravitation
from his analysis of the motion of planets around the Sun. In modern words, it says:

Every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force
that is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the two objects
and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the
centers of the two objects and in a line connecting their centers.

In an equation, the force of gravity Fg between two bodies of masses m1 and

m2 separated by a distance R is given by
𝒎𝟏 𝒎𝟐
Fg = G 𝑹𝟐
𝑁.𝑚2
where: G = 6.67 x 10-11
𝑘𝑔2
This universal constant G was determined in 1797 by an Englishman, Henry
Cavendish (1731-1810), who measured with the torsion balance, the gravitational
force between two exactly known masses. The force is very small, so this was a very
difficult measurement. The small value of G explains why you and your friend do
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not feel the mutual gravitational attraction between the two of you when you are
near each other. But believe me, he or she is attracted to you!

The law of universal gravitation is used to estimate the acceleration due to

gravity near the surface of the earth. It is found using the formula:
𝒎𝒆
g=G
𝑹𝟐𝒆
where: me (mass of the earth) = 5.98 x 1024 kg
Re (distance between an object on the surface of the earth and the center of
the earth) = 6.38 x 106 m
𝑁.𝑚2 𝟓.𝟗𝟖 𝐱 𝟏𝟎²⁴ 𝐤𝐠
g = 6.67 x 10 -11
𝑘𝑔2 (𝟔.𝟑𝟖 𝐱 𝟏𝟎⁶ 𝐦)²
2
14 𝑁.𝑚
3.9887 x 10
𝑘𝑔𝑎
= 4.0704 x 10 13 m2
𝑚𝑎
𝑁 𝑜𝑟 𝑘𝑔. 𝒎
𝑠²
g = 9.79 = 9.8 𝒔²
𝑘𝑔𝑎
Sample Problem:
Determine the gravitational force between a 60-kg and a 70-kg person who
are both standing 2.0 m apart.
Given:m1 = 60 kg R = 2.0 m
m2 = 70 kg
𝑁.𝑚2
G= 6.67 x 10-11
𝑘𝑔2
Find: Fg
𝒎𝟏 𝒎𝟐
Solution: Fg = G 𝑹𝟐
𝑁.𝑚2 (60𝑘𝑔)(70 𝑘𝑔)
Fg = 6.67 x 10-11 2 [ (2.0 𝑚)2
]
𝑘𝑔

𝑁.𝑚2 4200 𝑘𝑔2

= 6.67 x 10-11 [ ]
𝑘𝑔2 4.0 𝑚2
𝑁.𝑚2 𝑘𝑔2
= 6.67 x 10-11
𝑘𝑔2
[1050
𝑚2
]
Fg =7.004 x 10-8N = 7.0 x 10-8 N

Gravitational Field Strength

Any object with a mass m experiences a force exerted by the earth’s
gravitational field.
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A gravitational force of 9.8 N is exerted on each kilogram of mass and so the

𝑁 𝑚
earth’s gravitational field strength is 9.8 which is equivalent to 9.8 2, the
𝑘𝑔 𝑠
acceleration due to gravity, which is represented by the symbol g.
Therefore, Fw = mg (Fw here is also equivalent to weight)

Relationship of Mass and Weight

Mass and weight are two different things; the two are proportional to each
other in a given place. Greater masses have greater weights while smaller masses
have smaller weights. In the same place, doubled mass implies a weight which is
also doubled. It is always best to remember that mass and weight are not equal to
each other; mass speaks of the amount of matter in an object while weight is how
that matter is strongly attracted by the force of gravity.
Moreover, mass remains the same and does not depend on location unlike
weight which varies with location. Your mass will be the same anywhere but your
weight becomes lesser as you go to higher altitude or away from the center of the
earth.

Exercises for Universal law of Gravitation, Gravitational Field strength,

Mass and Weight :
1. A saleslady from Gaisano Balasan whose mass is 52 kg, is doing a product
demonstration in front of customers. She exerts a gravitational force of
7.45 x 10-8 N on a 57-kg woman who is standing in the front row. How far is
the woman from the saleslady? ( Ans: r = 1.63m)

2. The gravitational force between two identical spheres is given as

6.2 x 10-5 N. The spheres are separated by a distance of 0.60 m at the center.
What is the mass of each sphere? (Note m1=m2, m = 578.47 kg).

3. How much does a woman of mass 50 kg weigh on the earth’s surface?

What would be her mass 400 000 km above the earth’s surface?

Satellites, Orbits and Escape Speed

What keeps an artificial earth satellite from
falling down? The answer, of course, is that it is
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falling down, but, like the moon, at just such a rate as to circle the earth in a stable
orbit.
Near the earth the gravitational force on an orbit is its weight =mg. For
uniform circular motion around the earth, this force must provide the object with
𝑚𝑣 2
the centripetal force . The condition for a stable orbit is therefore
𝑟
𝒎𝒗𝟐 𝒓𝒎𝒈 𝒎𝒗𝟐
mg = =
𝒓 𝒎 𝒎
√𝒗² = √𝒓𝒈
so that v = √𝒓𝒈 (satellite speed)
While the speed of an object in a circular orbit of period T is (Note: The
circumference of a circle is equal to 2∏r).
𝟐𝝅𝒓
v= 𝑻
For a circular orbit just above the earth’s surface, where 𝒓𝒆 = the radius of the
earth.
v = √𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒂 = √(6.38 𝑥 106𝑚)(9.8 𝑚
𝑠2
)
𝑚² 𝑚
= √62, 524, 000 𝑠2
= 7.9 x 103 𝑠
(The speed required for
a satellite to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth.)
Anything sent off tangentially to the earth’s surface at this speed will become
a satellite of the earth. If it is sent off at a higher speed, its orbit will be elliptical
rather than circular.
An object sent off at a sufficiently high speed can escape permanently from
the earth, this required speed, is called the escape speed or escape velocity. So if
𝑚
you want to escape from the Earth you need have at least a velocity of 7.9 x 103 𝑠 .
Some satellites circle the equator with a period of exactly 1 day so that they
remain indefinitely over a particular location. A satellite in such a geostationary
orbit can “see” about a third of the earth’s surface.

Nearly 200 of the satellites now in geostationary orbits are used to

relay radio communications from one point to another, notably for
intercontinental telephone calls and television broadcasts. Such satellites,
as well as most of the others, obtain their electrical power from sunlight
with the help of photovoltaic cells.
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Sample Problem:
1.) The new Global Positioning System (GPS) developed by United States employs
18 satellites that circle the Earth in 12 hrs. Find the orbit radius that corresponds to
this period. (v = 7.9x 103 m/s)
3600 𝑠
Given: T = 12 hrs x = 43, 200 s
1 ℎ𝑟
v = 7.9x 103 m/s r =?
𝟐𝝅𝒓
Sol’n: v =
𝑻
𝒗𝑻 𝟐𝝅𝒓
=
𝟐𝝅 𝟐𝝅
𝒎
(𝟕.𝟗 𝐱 𝟏𝟎³ 𝒔 ) 𝟒𝟑,𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐬
𝒓= 𝟐(𝟑.𝟏𝟒𝟏𝟔)
𝟑𝟒𝟏,𝟐𝟖𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎𝒎
𝒓= = 54, 316, 271. 96m
𝟔.𝟐𝟖𝟑𝟐

KEPLER’S LAWS OF PLANETARY MOTION

Kepler made mathematical calculations and then concluded that the planets
follow a path similar to an ellipse. And after some time, he was finally able to
reduce all of Tycho Brahe’s observations to three simple laws known as Kepler’s
Laws of Planetary Motion. These are:

Law 1- The law of Ellipses : Each planet moves in an elliptical

orbit with the sun at one focus of the ellipse.

Law 2- The law of Equal Areas: The line from the sun to any
planet sweeps out equal areas of space in equal time intervals.

Law 3- The law of Harmonies: The squares of the times of

revolutions (periods) of the planets are proportional to the cubes
of their average distances from the sun. T2 = kR3
(where: the constant K is the same for all planets including earth)
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Explanations:
The Law of Ellipses
Kepler's first law - sometimes referred to as the law of ellipses - explains that
planets are orbiting the sun in a path described as an ellipse. An ellipse can easily
be constructed using a pencil, two tacks, a string, a sheet
of paper and a piece of cardboard. Tack the sheet of
paper to the cardboard using the two tacks. Then tie the
string into a loop and wrap the loop around the two
tacks. Take your pencil and pull the string until the pencil
and two tacks make a triangle (see diagram at the right).
Then begin to trace out a path with the pencil, keeping
the string wrapped tightly around the tacks. The resulting
shape will be an ellipse. An ellipse is a special curve in
which the sum of the distances from every point on the
curve to two other points is a constant. The two other
points (represented here by the tack locations) are known
as the foci of the ellipse. The closer together that these points are, the more closely
the ellipse resembles the shape of a circle. In fact, a circle is the special case of an
ellipse in which the two foci are at the same location. Kepler's first law is rather
simple - all planets orbit the sun in a path that resembles an ellipse, with the sun
being located at one of the foci of that ellipse.
The Law of Equal Areas
Kepler's second law - sometimes referred to as the law of equal areas -
describes the speed at which any given planet will move while orbiting the sun. The
speed at which any planet moves through
space is constantly changing. A planet moves
fastest when it is closest to the sun and
slowest when it is farthest from the sun. Yet,
if an imaginary line were drawn from the
center of the planet to the center of the sun,
that line would sweep out the same area in
equal periods of time. For instance, if an
imaginary line were drawn from the earth to
the sun, then the area swept out by the line in
every 31-day month would be the same. This
is depicted in the diagram on the right. As can
be observed in the diagram, the areas formed
when the earth is closest to the sun can be
approximated as a wide but short triangle;
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whereas the areas formed when the earth is farthest from the sun can be
approximated as a narrow but long triangle. These areas are the same size. Since
the base of these triangles are shortest when the earth is farthest from the sun
(Aphelion ≈ 1.52million km –occurs during the month of July), the earth would have
to be moving more slowly in order for this imaginary area to be the same size as
when the earth is closest to the sun (Perihelion ≈ 1.47million km –occurs during the
month of January).

The Law of Harmonies

Kepler's third law - sometimes referred to as the law of harmonies -
compares the orbital period (T) and radius (R) of orbit of a planet to those of other
planets. Unlike Kepler's first and second laws that describe the motion
characteristics of a single planet, the third law makes a comparison between the
motion characteristics of different planets. The comparison being made is that the
ratio of the squares of the periods (T2) to the cubes of their average distances (R3)
from the sun is the same for every one of the planets. As an illustration, consider
the orbital period and average distance from sun (orbital radius) for Earth and mars
as given in the table below.
Period Average 𝑻𝟐 𝒔𝟐
Planet 𝒊𝒏 (𝒎𝟑)
(s) Distance (m) 𝑹𝟑

Earth 3.156 x 107 s 1.4957 x 1011 2.977 x 10-19

Mars 5.93 x 107 s 2.278 x 1011 2.975 x 10-19
𝑇2
Observe that the 3 ratio is the same for Earth as it is for mars. In fact, if the
𝑅
𝑇2
same ratio is computed for the other planets, it can be found that this ratio is
𝑅3
nearly the same value for all the planets (see table below). Amazingly, every planet
𝑇2
has the same ratio.
𝑅3
Period Average 𝑻𝟐 𝒚𝒓𝟐
Planet 𝒊𝒏 ( )
(yr) Distance (au) 𝑹𝟑 𝒂.𝒖.𝟑

Mercury 0.241 0.39 0.98

Venus .615 0.72 1.01
Earth 1.00 1.00 1.00
Mars 1.88 1.52 1.01
Jupiter 11.8 5.20 0.99
Saturn 29.5 9.54 1.00
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Uranus 84.0 19.18 1.00

Neptune 165 30.06 1.00
Pluto 248 39.44 1.00

(NOTE: The average distance value is given in astronomical units where 1 a.u. is
equal to the distance from the earth to the sun - 1.4957 x 1011 m. The orbital period
is given in units of earth-years where 1 earth year is the time required for the earth
to orbit the sun 3.156 x 107 seconds).
Kepler's third law provides an accurate description of the period and distance
𝑇2
for a planet's orbits about the sun. Additionally, the same law that describes the
𝑅3
𝑇2
ratio for the planets' orbits about the sun also accurately describes the ratio for
𝑅3
any satellite (whether a moon or a man-made satellite) about any planet. There is
𝑇2
something much deeper to be found in this ratio - something that must relate to
𝑅3
basic fundamental principles of motion.

Sample Problem:
1. Galileo is often credited with the early discovery of four of Jupiter's many
moons. The moons orbiting Jupiter follow the same laws of motion as the planets
orbiting the sun. One of the moons is called Io - its distance from Jupiter's center is
4.2 units and it orbits Jupiter in 1.8 days. Another moon is called Ganymede; it is
10.7 units from Jupiter's center. Make a prediction of the period of Ganymede using
Kepler's law of harmonies. (Ans: T = 7.32 days)
Given: RIo = 4.2 units (Radius of Io)
TIo = 1.8 days
RG = 10.7 units TG = ?
𝑇₁ₒ2 𝑇ʛ2
Sol’n: = or 𝑻₁ₒ𝟐 𝑹ʛ𝟑 = 𝑻ʛ𝟐 𝑹₁ₒ𝟑 (Cross multiply)
𝑅₁ₒ3 𝑅ʛ3
𝑇₁ₒ2 𝑅ʛ3 𝑇ʛ² 𝑅₁ₒ3
= (divide both sides by 𝑅₁ₒ3 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑇ʛ2
𝑅₁ₒ3 𝑅₁ₒ3
𝑇₁ₒ2 𝑅ʛ3
𝑻ʛ𝟐 =
𝑅₁ₒ3
(1.8 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠)² (10.7 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠)³
= (4.2 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠)³
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(3.24 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 ²) (1,225.043 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠3 )

= (74.088 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠3 )
3,969.1393 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 ²
= 74.088
𝒂
√𝑻ʛ𝟐 = √53.573 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 ²
TG = 7.32 days

Did you know that. . . Our understanding of the elliptical motion of

planets about the Sun spanned several years and included contributions
from many scientists.
a. Who was credited with the collection of the data necessary to support
the planet's elliptical motion? (Tycho Brahe)
b. Who was credited with the long and difficult task of analyzing the
data? (Johannes Kepler)
c. Who was credited with the accurate explanation of the data? (Isaac
Newton)

Exercises for Kepler’s laws of Planetary Motion

1. What relationship between the period of planets and their distance from
the sun did Kepler discover?

2. The average orbital distance of Mars is 1.52 times the average orbital
distance of the Earth. Knowing that the Earth orbits the sun in approximately
365 days, use Kepler's law of harmonies to predict the time for Mars to orbit the
sun. RE = 1.5 x 1011m (Ans: Tmars = 683.99 days or ≈ 684 days)

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

A repeated motion that occurs back and forth over the same path, such as
the swinging of pendulum of the grandfather clock or a metronome, is called
periodic motion.
A body that undergoes periodic motion has a stable equilibrium position.
Whenever the body is pulled away from its equilibrium position, the net force on
the system pulls it back toward equilibrium. If the force that restores the object
back to its equilibrium position is directly proportional to the displacement of the
object, the motion is called simple harmonic motion.
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Simple harmonic motion is described by the amplitude, period and

frequency. The amplitude (A) refers to the magnitude of the maximum
displacement or the maximum distance of a mass or particle from its equilibrium
position. The period (T) is the time needed to repeat one complete cycle of motion.
The frequency (f) is the number of cycles per second. A cycle is a complete round
trip or motion through a complete oscillation.
Period and frequency are reciprocals of each other. In equation,
𝟏 𝟏
T = 𝒇 and f =𝑻
Since period is the measure of time, the unit is the second, while the unit for
𝟏
frequency is the reciprocal of this, or . This could also be expressed as cycles
𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅
per second or hertz (Hz).

HOOKE’S LAW
Hooke's Law is a principle in physics that states that the force needed to
extend or compress a spring by some distance is proportional to that distance.
The law is named after 17th century British physicist Robert Hooke, who sought to
demonstrate the relationship between the forces applied to a spring and its
elasticity. He first stated the law in 1660 as a Latin anagram, and then published the
solution in 1678 as ut tensio, sic vis – which translated, means "as the extension, so
the force" or "the extension is proportional to the force").
This can be expressed mathematically as F= -kx, where F is the force applied
to the spring (either in the form of strain or stress); x is the displacement of the
spring, with a negative value demonstrating that the displacement of the spring
once it is stretched; and k is the spring constant and details just how stiff it is.
Fspring = -kx
where: Fspring = spring force
k = spring constant
x = displacement
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Hooke's law is the first classical example of an explanation of elasticity –

which is the property of an object or material which causes it to be restored to its
original shape after distortion. This ability to return to a normal shape after
experiencing distortion can be referred to as a "restoring force". Understood in
terms of Hooke's Law, this restoring force is generally proportional to the amount
of "stretch"
experienced.

Illustration of
Hooke’s Law,
showing the rela-
tionship between
force and dis-
tance when
applied to a
spring. Credit:
GSU/hyperphysics

In addition
to governing the behavior of springs, Hooke's Law also applies in many other
situations where an elastic body is deformed. These can include anything from
inflating a balloon and pulling on a rubber band to measuring the amount of wind
force is needed to make a tall building bend and sway.

Sample Problem:
A jack-in-a-box lid will pop open when a crank is turned on the outside of the
box. If Rex pushes inside of the box with a force of 2.5 N when the lid is closed and
the spring is compressed 10.0 cm from equilibrium, what is the force constant of
the spring?
Given: F = 2.5 N
x = 10.0 cm = 0.10 m
Find: k
Solution: Fspring = -kx
𝑭𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈
k=-
𝒙
𝟐.𝟓𝑵
=- 𝟎.𝟏𝟎𝒎
𝑵
k = - 25𝒎
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Simple Pendulum
A simple pendulum is one which can be considered to be a point
mass suspended from a string or rod of negligible mass. It is a
resonant system with a single resonant frequency. For small
amplitudes, the period of such a pendulum can be approximated by:
𝑳
T = 2 π√
𝒈
where: T = period of the pendulum
L = length of the string
g = acceleration due to gravity
If the rod is not of negligible mass, then it must be treated as a physical pendulum.

Sample Problem:
Irene is on a swing that hangs from a tree branch by 2.0-m long ropes. What
frequency will Irene have as she swings?
Given: L = 2.0-m
𝑚
g = 9.8 𝑠2 π = 3.1416
Find: T
𝑳 𝟐.𝟎 𝒎
Solution: T = 2 π√ = 2 (3.1416)√ 𝒎
𝒈 𝟗.𝟖 𝟐
𝒔
= 6.2832 √𝟎. 𝟐𝟎𝟒𝟏𝒔²
= 6.2832 (𝟎. 𝟒𝟓𝟏𝟖𝒔)
T = 2.84 s
𝟏 𝟏
Then solve for f: f= =
𝑻 𝟐.𝟖𝟒 𝒔
𝟎.𝟑𝟓
= or 0.35 Hz
𝒔

Exercises for Hooke’s law and Simple

pendulum:

1. How much force is needed to pull a

𝑁
spring with a spring constant of 20 𝑚 a
distance of 25 cm?
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2. What happens to a child on a playground swing if you push the child forward one
time and leave the child swinging?
3. How long should a simple pendulum be to have a period of one second?

VI. ASSESSMENT

I. Ipaliwanag nang Maliwanagan:

Explain why you agree or disagree with the following statements of Sir Isaac
Newton.

1.) Mahirap talaga ang LDR or Long Distance relationship,

kasi nababawasan ang attraction pag malayo kayo sa isa’t isa
2. Everything that falls is affected by gravity, except from
falling in love.
3. What comes up must come down.
4. Alam mo kung bakit di ka crush ng crush mo?
Kasi attracted lang sya sayo..
5. Kapag may nanuntok sayo, wag kang maghiganti,
maniwala ka sa 3rd law of motion ko at sa karma.

II. Problem Solving, show your solution (write the given, unknown, formula,
solution and encircle your final answer with unit). Note: Use 4 decimal places if it is
not yet the final answer, then round it off to 2 decimal places for the final answer.
1. Determine the gravitational force between the Earth and the moon if the
mass of the earth is 5.98 x 1024 kg and the mass of the moon is 7.38 x 1022 kg and
the distance between them is 384, 400 km. (Ans: Fg = 1.99 x 10 20N)
2. Imagine yourself as an astronaut sent on a mission to a new planet where
𝑁
the gravitational field strength near the surface is 3.5 𝑘𝑔. Using your actual mass,
complete the table below.
Location Mass Weight
On Earth
On the new planet
In space
3. A spring is pulled to 10 cm and held in place with a force of 500 N. What is
the spring constant of the spring?
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4. A chandelier is suspended from a high ceiling with a cable 6.0 m long. What is the
period of oscillation?

VII. REFLECTION

What have you learned and realized from these lessons?

VIII. REFERENCES:

Beiser, A. (1992). Modern Technical Physics. 6th ed. Addison-Wesley Publishing

Company.
Hewitt, P. G. (1998). Conceptual Physics. 8 th ed. Addison-Wesley Longman Inc.
Navaza, D. C. & Valdes, B. J. (2001). Physics. 2nd ed. Phoenix Publishing House.
Padua, A. L. & Crisostomo, R. M. (2005). Practical and Explorational Physics. Vibal
Publishing House, Inc.
Pancer, R. O. (2014). Competency-Based Learning Plans in Physics(Vol. 1).
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/circles/Lesson-4/Kepler-s-Three-Laws
https://www.dummies.com/education/science/physics/how-to-calculate-a-spring-constant-
using-hooke’s-law/

Prepared by:

MYLA B. BALBERONA Checked by:

Subject Teacher
MR. RAUL O. PANCER
HT-II, Science Department
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