Pendulum

Investigate the variables that might have an effect on the period of a pendulum. Four variables are available – the amplitude of the swing, the mass of the pendulum bob, the length of the pendulum, and the local value for g, the acceleration due to gravity.

Topics and Objectives:

• Measure the period with the included stopwatch.
• Test the effects of length, amplitude, mass, and gravity on the pendulum’s motion.
• Use the pendulum to determine gravity on the moon and on an asteroid.

Activities:

• Simple Pendulum Lab – Student Version (PDF)

Preset Unknowns:

• g(Earth’s moon)
• g(Asteroid)

Support:

• Simple Pendulum Lab – User’s Guide (PDF)