Name: Section Date

SIMPLE PENDULUM

PROBLEMS 1. When is the motion of a simple pendulum simple harmonic?

2. What is the effect of the following physical quantities on the period of oscillation of a
simple pendulum: mass of the pendulum bob, length, acceleration due to gravity, and
angular displacement.

MATERIALS Pendulum Lab (PhET simulation)

ONLINE RESOURCES Pendulum Lab PhET simulation: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/pendulum-

lab/latest/pendulum-lab_en.html

PROCEDURE

Frequency and 1. Open the Pendulum Lab PhET simulation. Select LAB.
Spring Constant
2. Set the following parameters:

Length 1m
Friction none
Environment Earth
Simulation speed slow
Velocity indicator enabled
Acceleration vector enabled
Simulation PAUSED
Angular displacement 10 degrees

3. Run the simulation by clicking on the pause/play button. Observe the motion of the
pendulum and the length of the velocity vector at different positions of the pendulum
bob.

QUESTION:
• What happens to the speed of the pendulum bob as it (a) swings away from the
equilibrium position and (b) toward the equilibrium position?

• At what position(s) is the speed of the pendulum bob at its maximum value? At what
position(s) is the pendulum bob instantaneously at rest?

• What are the direction of the acceleration when the pendulum bob is (a) at the right
side of the equilibrium position and (b) at the left side of the equilibrium position?

Ferdinand S. Bautista, Manila Science High School

Name: Section Date
• At what position(s) is the acceleration of the pendulum bob at its maximum value?
minimum value?

• Based on these observations, is the motion of a simple pendulum simple harmonic?

Explain.

Period and Mass

1. Set the following parameters:

Length 1m
MASS 0.3 kg
Friction none
Environment Earth
Simulation speed normal
Velocity indicator disabled
Acceleration vector disabled
Simulation PAUSED
Angular displacement 15 degrees
Period Timer enabled

2. Run the simulation by clicking on the pause/play button. While the pendulum bob is
oscillating, activate the Period Timer, and note the period of oscillation.

3. Using the same parameters in (1), make several trials, each time, increasing the mass
by 0.3 kg until m = 1.5 kg. Record your data in the table below.

Mass m, of the Period, T, of

Pendulum bob (kg) Oscillation (s)
0.3
0.6
0.9
1.2
1.5

4. Using a spreadsheet, plot the graph of the period of oscillation (T) against the mass of
the pendulum bob (m). Describe the graph formed.

QUESTION:

What does the T vs. m graph suggest about the relationship between the period of oscillation
of a simple pendulum and its mass?

Ferdinand S. Bautista, Manila Science High School

Name: Section Date

Period and the 1. Set the following parameters:

length of the
Pendulum LENGTH 0.2 m
Mass 0.5 kg
Friction none
Environment Earth
Simulation speed normal
Velocity indicator disabled
Acceleration vector disabled
Simulation PAUSED
Angular displacement 15 degrees
Period Timer enabled

2. Run the simulation by clicking on the pause/play button. While the pendulum bob is
oscillating, activate the PERIOD TIMER, and note the period of oscillation.

3. Using the parameters in (1), make several trials, each time, increasing the length by
0.2 m until the length equals L= 1m. Record your data in the table below.

Length, L of the Period, T, of Period Squared

pendulum (m) Oscillation (s) (T2) (s2)
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0

4. Using a spreadsheet, plot the graph of the period (T) against the length (L) of the
pendulum. Describe the graph formed.

5. Plot the graph of T2 against L. What kind of graph was formed?

QUESTIONS:

• What does the graph of T2 vs. L suggest about the relationship between T2 and L.?
Write the relationship as a mathematical expression.

Ferdinand S. Bautista, Manila Science High School

Name: Section Date

Period and 1. Set the following parameters:

Acceleration due to
Gravity Length 1m
Mass 1 kg
GRAVITY 5 m/s2
Friction none
Environment Earth
Simulation speed normal
Velocity indicator disabled
Acceleration vector disabled
Simulation PAUSED
Angular displacement 15 degrees
Period Timer enabled

2. Run the simulation by clicking on the pause/play button. While the pendulum bob is
oscillating, activate the PERIOD TIMER, and note the period of oscillation.

3. Using the parameters in (1), make several trials, each time, increasing the acceleration
due to gravity by 5 m/s2 m until g = 5 m/s2. Record your data in the table below.

Acceleration due to Period, T, of (T2) 1/g

gravity, g, (m/s2) Oscillation (s) (s2) (s2/m)
5
10
15
20
25

4. Plot the graph of T2 against 1/g. Describe the graph formed.

QUESTIONS:

• What does the graph of T2 vs. 1/g suggest about the relationship between g and T2?
Write the relationship as a mathematical expression.

Period and Angular

Displacement 1. Set the following parameters:
Length 1m
Mass 1 kg
Environment Earth
Friction none
Environment Earth
Simulation speed normal
Velocity indicator disabled
Ferdinand S. Bautista, Manila Science High School
Name: Section Date
Acceleration vector disabled
Simulation PAUSED
ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT 3 degrees
Period Timer enabled

2. Determine the period of oscillation using the photogate timer.

3. Repeat procedure (1) for different values of the angular displacement (Refer to the
table below)

4. Record your data.

Angular Period Angular Period

Displacement (s) Displacement (s)
(degrees) (degrees)
3 25
6 40
9 55
12 70
15 85
18 90

QUESTIONS:

• For 𝜃 < 15°, does the period of oscillation depends on the angular displacement?

• For   15 does the period of the pendulum depend on the angular displacement?
What happens to the period of the pendulum as the angular displacement increases?

• When do you say that the motion of a simple pendulum is simple harmonic?

CONCLUSION(S)

GOING FURTHER In the simulation, the acceleration due to gravity on Planet X is not known. Develop a method
to determine the acceleration due to gravity on Planet X.

Ferdinand S. Bautista, Manila Science High School

Name: Section Date

Ferdinand S. Bautista, Manila Science High School