Lectures on Physics has been derived from Benjamin Crowell's Light and Matter series of free introductory textbooks on physics. See the editorial for more information.... |
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The pendulum
Question: Compare the periods of pendula having bobs with different masses. Solution: From the equation
we might expect that a larger mass would lead to a longer period. However, increasing the mass also increases the forces that act on the pendulum: gravity and the tension in the string. This increases k as well as m, so the period of a pendulum is independent of m.
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Home Vibration and Waves Vibrations Examples The pendulum |