Physics Concepts in the Pendulum Practical

[lucylouisa]

1. The use of a flimsy retort stand meant that when the pendulum was in the motion the retort stand was also swaying slightly. Explain this.



2. p=mv, torque=rmg



3. I am a bit stumped on this one. My teacher suggested I look into the torque of the pendulum - the friction at the point where the pendulum joined the retort stand and the distance that the pendulum was held from the stand. I originally thought that conservation of momentum was the way to go. I know that the initial momentum of the object was zero but I don't really know where to go next with that.

 

[member 553083]

Any help would be greatly appreciated. The torque of the pendulum is caused by the force of gravity acting on the mass of the pendulum, which causes it to rotate about its pivot point. This rotation causes the friction between the pendulum and the retort stand to increase, resulting in a small amount of swaying. As the pendulum swings, the torque increases and decreases, causing the retort stand to sway as well.