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Chapter 1 · Making Measurements — Lesson 1.3
Pendulum Lab: Measuring Time
A real, damped pendulum: adjust the length and starting angle, release it, and watch its swing shrink over time as it loses energy to air resistance and friction. A live trail traces its recent path, and every variable in the period formula is defined for you.
Live Apparatusθ = 0.0°
Teal trail = recent path. Red flash = distance no longer reached.
0.80 m
15°
Readouts
Elapsed time
0.00 s
Swings completed
0
Theoretical period T
1.80 s
Amplitude now
15.0°
T = 2π √(L / g)
What Each Variable Means
T
Period
Time for one complete swing (there and back), in seconds (s).
L
Length
Distance from the pivot to the centre of the bob, in metres (m).
g
Gravitational acceleration
How strongly gravity pulls near Earth's surface, ≈ 9.8 m/s².