Physics Period(5
Ms. Loran
Angelica Jordan
October 1st, 2008
Lab Report # 4
Title: Speed Of A Pendulum
Partner: Adrianna (Was not there during the second day of the lab)
Problem: How can we calculate the speed of a pendulum? Will a heavier mass make the pendulum swing faster or slower?
Background Info: Within this lab, we re-enter the concept of speed and how it revolves around any object. The object used in my group was to create a pendulum. A pendulum is any mass that swings back and forth on a rope, string, or chain. It is an apparatus consisting of an object mounted so that it swings freely under the influence of gravity. Gravity is the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface. Pendulums can be found in old clocks and other machinery. A playground swing is a pendulum. Many amusement park rides are pendulums. If you pull the mass away from its rest position, so that the string is at an angle, and then let go, the mass will begin to swing back and forth. One trip back and forth is called a period. How fast the pendulum swings back and forth can change. Speed is the distance traveled by the time taken to travel the distance. The formula for speed is distance divided by time.
Hypothesis: We can calculate the average speed by counting how many swings the pendulum could make within a given amount of time, and then divide the swings by the time to determine the amount of swings per second. I believe that the variable will be faster than the control because with more weight and pressure on the string to accelerate, the more swings the pendulum would take within any given time.
Materials: * 1 piece of string
* 2 weights (50 g for Control), (100 g for Variable)
* Tape
* Ipod (as a stopwatch)
* Table
* Meter Stick
* Scissors...