Pendulum clock when taken to moon

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of a pendulum clock when taken from Earth to the moon, specifically focusing on how the change in gravitational acceleration affects the clock's timekeeping. Participants are examining the implications of the pendulum's period in different gravitational fields.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are analyzing the relationship between the pendulum's period and gravitational acceleration, using the formula for the period of a pendulum. There is a debate about the interpretation of the results, particularly regarding whether the clock would run faster or slower on the moon.

Discussion Status

The conversation includes attempts to clarify the implications of the mathematical results, with some participants suggesting that the original poster may have misinterpreted their findings. There is an ongoing exploration of the logical reasoning behind the expected behavior of the pendulum clock in a lower gravity environment.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working within the constraints of a homework problem, which may influence their interpretations and assumptions about the behavior of the pendulum clock in different gravitational conditions.

utkarshakash
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Homework Statement


A pendulum clock that keeps correct time on the Earth is taken to the moon. It will run

a) at correct rate
b)6 times faster
c)√6 times faster
d)√6 times slower

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution


[itex]T_{earth} = 2\pi \sqrt{\dfrac{L}{g}} \\<br /> T_{moon} = 2\pi \sqrt{\dfrac{L}{g/6}}[/itex]

Dividing i) by ii)

[itex]\dfrac{T_{earth}}{T_{moon}} = \frac{1}{√6} \\<br /> T_{moon} = √6T_{earth}[/itex]

This implies option c) is correct but my book says it is option d).
 
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The period is longer so the frequency must be...
 
utkarshakash said:

Homework Statement


A pendulum clock that keeps correct time on the Earth is taken to the moon. It will run

a) at correct rate
b)6 times faster
c)√6 times faster
d)√6 times slower

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution


[itex]T_{earth} = 2\pi \sqrt{\dfrac{L}{g}} \\<br /> T_{moon} = 2\pi \sqrt{\dfrac{L}{g/6}}[/itex]

Dividing i) by ii)

[itex]\dfrac{T_{earth}}{T_{moon}} = \frac{1}{√6} \\<br /> T_{moon} = √6T_{earth}[/itex]

This implies option c) is correct but my book says it is option d).

Use concept ,

T [itex]\alpha[/itex] 1/√g

As √g reduces by √6 on moon , this implies time period on moon will be √6 times that of Earth , as you got. You interpreted your answer wrongly. If the time period increases , pendulum will oscillate slower or faster for a given displacement of the bob ?
 
sankalpmittal said:
Use concept ,

T [itex]\alpha[/itex] 1/√g

As √g reduces by √6 on moon , this implies time period on moon will be √6 times that of Earth , as you got. You interpreted your answer wrongly. If the time period increases , pendulum will oscillate slower or faster for a given displacement of the bob ?

Thanks for pointing out my mistake
 
utkarshakash said:


This implies option c) is correct but my book says it is option d).


Forget the math for a minute and just think about it logically. Would you really expect a pendulum clock when moved to lower gravity to have the pendulum swing FASTER? Really ?
 

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