The second question may be easier.
Newton's second law should be expressed as F = dp/dt rather than F = ma,because F=dp/dt may be more universal than F =ma.
When the velocity is far smaller than the speed of light,the mass can be seen as a constant , F=ma and F=dp/dt can be all right...
According to Rigid-body rotation Law ,you can get a formula
mglsinθ=-ml^2*(d2θ/dt2)
m is the mass of the ball ,l is the length of the rope and θ is the angle between the rope and vertical.
According to Talyor series ,when θ is very small,sinθ=θ.
Then it turns to (d2θ/dt2)+g/l *θ=0,and...