pendulums

If someone else jumps on the trapeze, it take less than 5.2 seconds. The more weight causes a larger force to be placed on the pendulum therefore speeding up the motion.

What is your personal experience?
I have swung on a swing. I have seen a large pendulum at the science center.

What applications to real life do swinging objects have?
A wrecking ball.
A swing.
A grandfather clock.

What is your prediction about what will happen if two people are on one trapeze and only one is on the other and they are both let go at the same time?  Explain

-- the person on the bottom will fly further away and the person holding the trapeze will drop down.

What understandings do you have regarding swinging objects?
Very little.

1.What questions do you have?

a. How does the length of the string effect the speed of pendulum?

b. How does the angle of the pendulum effect the speed of pendulum?

c. How does placing the pendulum in water effect the pendulum?

d. What is the difference of the swing if you placed the pendulum below sea level and in the mountains?

e. What is the difference of the swing if you place the pendulum at the poles or at the equator?

f. Does temperature effect the swing of the pendulum?

2.Analyze your questions – Look at your list of question

  a. Which of these questions can be investigate using the activity materials you’ve been using?

We can investigate a, b.

  b. Which questions require additional materials? What are they?

B and F would require a container of water, a heater and ice of some sort.

  c. Which questions are beyond the scope of this activity to find answers? How would you find those answers?

D and E are beyond the scope of the activity. To find the answers, you could research information on the internet or in textbooks.

  d. Identify three questions you personally are most interested in investigating.  Why are these questions interesting or important to you?

• A and B because my children have swings in the back yard and I am interested in how the length or high they swing would effect the frequency of swing.
• E, I've seen the large pendulum at the science center that knocks down the pegs due to the rotation of the earth. Would being at the poles or the equator effect how the pins are knocked down?

Open inquiry

1. I am interested in how the length of the pendulum changes the frequency of the swing.

2. It is relatable to real world applications.

3. How does does the lenght of the string change the frequency?

2. Materials -- dowel, pin, string, weight, ruler.

Procedure-- Use same procedure as Tuesday but change lenght of string.

Measure string -- first swing, 30 cm, 20 cm and 13 cm

Swing each time from a 22.3 degree angle, Measure each swing for 10 seconds.

30 cm 

1. 9

2. 8.5

3.8

20 cm

1. 10

2. 10

3. 10

13 cm

1. 13

2. 13

3. 13

Shorter pendulum swings have a higher frequency.

Length of the pendulum-Changing the length of a pendulum while keeping other factors constant changes the length of the period of the pendulum. Longer pendulums swing with a lower frequency than shorter pendulums, and thus have a longer period.

Quiz

His swinging experience will be uneven. The side with the shorter string will swing at a faster rate than the side with the longer string length, therefore, creating an uneven swinging experience.