You are designing a pendulum for a science museum. The pendulum is made by attaching a brass sphere with mass mm to the lower end of a long, light metal wire of (unknown) length LL.
Simple harmonic motion
Simple harmonic motion is a type of periodic motion in which an object undergoes oscillatory motion. The restoring force exerted by the object exhibiting SHM is proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium position. The force is directed towards the mean position. We see many examples of SHM around us, common ones are the motion of a pendulum, spring and vibration of strings in musical instruments, and so on.
Simple Pendulum
A simple pendulum comprises a heavy mass (called bob) attached to one end of the weightless and flexible string.
Oscillation
In Physics, oscillation means a repetitive motion that happens in a variation with respect to time. There is usually a central value, where the object would be at rest. Additionally, there are two or more positions between which the repetitive motion takes place. In mathematics, oscillations can also be described as vibrations. The most common examples of oscillation that is seen in daily lives include the alternating current (AC) or the motion of a moving pendulum.
You are designing a pendulum for a science museum. The pendulum is made by attaching a brass sphere with mass mm to the lower end of a long, light metal wire of (unknown) length LL. A device near the top of the wire measures the tension in the wire and transmits that information to your laptop computer. When the wire is vertical and the sphere is at rest, the sphere's center is 0.800 mm above the floor and the tension in the wire is 265 NN. Keeping the wire taut, you then pull the sphere to one side (using a ladder if necessary) and gently release it. You record the height hh of the center of the sphere above the floor at the point where the sphere is released and the tension TT in the wire as the sphere swings through its lowest point. You collect your results in the table below. Assume that the sphere can be treated as a point mass, ignore the mass of the wire, and assume that mechanical energy is conserved through each measurement.
| hh (mm) | 0.800 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 6.00 | 8.00 | 10.0 | 12.0 |
| TT (NN) | 265 | 274 | 298 | 313 | 330 | 348 | 371 |
| The pendulum is absorbing energy because negative work is being done on it by friction with the air and at the point of contact where it swings. |
| The pendulum is losing energy because positive work is being done on it by friction with the air and at the point of contact where it swings. |
| The pendulum is losing energy because negative work is being done on it by friction with the air and at the point of contact where it swings. |
| The pendulum is absorbing energy because positive work is being done on it by friction with the air and at the point of contact where it swings. |
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