A simple pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot point that is free to swing back and forth under the influence of gravity. It consists of a mass (bob) attached to a string or rod of negligible mass, and the only force acting on the pendulum is the force of gravity.
Simple harmonic motion is a type of periodic motion where the acceleration is directly proportional to the displacement and always directed towards the equilibrium position. This results in a sinusoidal pattern of motion, with the object oscillating back and forth around the equilibrium point.
Yes, a simple pendulum is an example of simple harmonic motion as long as the angle of displacement is small (less than 15 degrees) and the string or rod is massless. In this case, the motion of the pendulum will follow a sinusoidal pattern as described in question 2.
The period of a simple pendulum is affected by the length of the string or rod, the mass of the bob, and the gravitational acceleration. The period is directly proportional to the length and inversely proportional to the square root of the acceleration due to gravity. It is not affected by the mass of the bob as long as it is small compared to the length of the pendulum.
The period of a simple pendulum can be calculated using the formula T = 2π√(L/g), where T is the period in seconds, L is the length of the pendulum in meters, and g is the acceleration due to gravity in m/s². This formula assumes small angles of displacement and a massless string or rod.