_
Length
Is Important, Period
Busra G.
Busra G.
Pendulums: Background Information
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/8/9/22893520/443170381.jpg)
Many of us have heard about pendulums; some might think of it as a ball attached to a string, but what exactly is a pendulum? Webster's Collegiate Encyclopedia defines a pendulum as "a weight suspended from a pivot which enables it to swing freely" (or oscillate). Although at first glance pendulums might seem too simple to be useful, they actually have been used for a variety of different purposes throughout the years. Pendulums were regarded as the most accurate time keeping device for many centuries; up until the 1930s to be exact! In fact, the earliest use of pendulums dates thousands of years back to the Han Dynasty where a Chinese scientist used them to locate earthquakes. Throughout the following years, pendulums have also been used for many other purposes like regulating pendulum clocks, timekeeping and measuring the acceleration of gravity. Pendulums are still used in today's technology and can be found in scientific instruments like seismometers and accelerometers.
![Picture](/uploads/2/2/8/9/22893520/266739210.jpg)
_ The properties of pendulums were first
studied by the famous Italian astronomer, Galileo Galilei, in 1602. Galilei
soon discovered that the properties of pendulums made them perfect
for keeping an accurate track of time. As he studied the properties
of pendulums further, Galilei discovered some factors that affected a
pendulum's period, or the time it takes for the pendulum's bob to complete
one swing cycle. These factors included gravity strength, amplitude and
length. Surprisingly, the bob's weight and mass did not affect the
pendulum's periodic motion in any way. Using all of this information, I have
decided to conduct an experiment in which I will determine how exactly
a pendulum's length affects its period.