COMPOUND

PENDULUM AND
IT’S USES.
■ Compound pendulum – pendulum consisting of an actual object allowed to rotate freely
around a horizontal axis. Physical pendulum. Ballistic pendulum – a physical pendulum
consisting of a large mass suspended from a rod; when it is struck by a projectile its
displacement is used to measure the projectile’s velocity.

■ A compound pendulum has an extended mass, like a swinging bar, and is free to
oscillate about a horizontal axis. A special reversible compound pendulum called
Kater’s pendulum is designed to measure the value of g, the acceleration of gravity.
Principle of compound pendulum

■ A compound pendulum is just an extension of a simple pendulum. The principle of

compound pendulum states that the time period and frequency of the compound
pendulum depends on the length of gyration, the moment of inertia and the mass of the
pendulum as well as gravitational acceleration.
■ This allows us to treat the mass attached to the pendulum though it were a single point.
In a compound pendulum, the distance between the center of gravity of the swinging
body and the axis of suspension is comparable to the dimensions of the body. We can
also measure the value of acceleration due to gravity by using a compound pendulum.
■ Note: The compound pendulum is different from simple pendulum in many ways.The
oscillating mass is much smaller than the distance between the axis of suspension and
center of gravity in a simple pendulum while it is comparable in size in compound
pendulum. Also, the attached mass has no effect on the time period of a simple
pendulum while the mass of the body attached and how it is distributed affects the time
period of the compound pendulum.
■ we can clearly say that practically the compound pendulum applications can be widely
obseved in our surroundings like farm tractors sailing boats and also it is useful for
astronauts.