Does a Suspended Baseball Bat Really Function as a Simple Pendulum?

AI Thread Summary
A suspended baseball bat does not function as a simple pendulum due to its uneven weight distribution, with the bat head being heavier than the handle. This imbalance causes it to stop after one swing rather than oscillate back and forth. Instead, it acts as a physical or compound pendulum, which is defined as a rigid body suspended from a fixed axis not located at its center of mass. In contrast, a simple pendulum consists of a small bob suspended by a string, allowing for consistent swinging motion. The discussion concludes that a baseball bat does not meet the criteria for a simple pendulum.
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If you were to suspend a baseball bat from one end and let it swing back and forth, does it make a simple pendulum?

Ok I think it doesn't because a baseball bat's upper portion(bat head) weighs more than the bottom so I figure that it will stop after one swing instead of swaying back and forth. Does this make sense or can someone explain to me why it would be an example of a simple pendulum?
 
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That would be a physical or compound pendulum - i.e. a rigid body suspended from a fixed axis through the object (but not at its center of mass). A small bob suspended by a string would be an example of a simple pendulum.
 
thanks tide. Yeah I figured that a baseball bat does not make a simple pendulum.
 
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