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Modeling Scenario

3-085-SimplePendulum-ModelingScenario

Author(s): John Sieben

Keywords: Newton's Second Law of Motion pendulum kinetic energy potential energy Conservation of Energyt initial conditions small angle approximation Taylor polynomial percent error

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Abstract

Resource Image Thestudent is asked to derive and solve a differential equation that gives the position (angle

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Description

The differential equation is solved for (t). Then the student is asked to build a physical pendulum and assign initial conditions to the general solution to obtain a particular solution that applies to the student’s constructed physical pendulum.

The student measures the period of his/her physical pendulum and a comparison is made between the period obtained from the particular solution and the period as measured from the physical pendulum. As an additional exercise the student is asked to construct a second pendulum and use this apparatus to find the acceleration due to gravity. 

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Authors

Author(s): John Sieben

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