Pendulum Lab Conclusion Questions

Pendulum lab:conclusion questions

In this lab, we constructed a pendulum using a ring stand and clamp, fishing line, a protractor, and lead sinkers (½,1, and 2 oz). We would test how many swings the pendulum would have when changing the length of the fishing line, weight of the sinkers, and angle which the sinker was released. We changed each of the properties 3-4 times and each time we had three trails. Our constants (except when changing that property) were 100 cm in length, ½ oz lead sinker, and a 45 degree angle. When I changed the length of the pendulum, I observed as the line got longer the rate of swings had gotten slower. For example, our first change which was 40 cm, had a average of 0.786 swings/sec, while our last change which was 100 cm in length had an average of 0.476 swings/sec. When I changed the mass of the pendulum, I observed that the rate stayed the same every time I added weight. For example, our first change was done with a ½ oz sinker and our last change was done with a 2 oz sinker, and as our data shows both had an average of 0.476 swings/sec. When I changed the angle of the pendulum, I observed that as the angle got higher, so did the rate. When we started off with 45 degrees, our rate was 0.476 swings/sec, when we changed the angle to 75 degrees the rate increased to 0.51 swing/sec. Our rate did decrease during our 90 degree trails due to hitting the table. In this lab I learned that potential and kinetic energy are affected by positions, when we dragged the sinker to 75 degrees it had the most potential energy, when released the sinker all of the energy was turned into kinetic energy then back into potential when it reached the highest point on the other side, then the potential energy turned back into kinetic when swinging back again (this goes on until the pendulum is no longer swinging because some energy is loss due to friction). By changing the position we gave the pendulum more or less potential energy, which changed the overall energy the pendulum had, the more energy the faster the swing because there was more energy to convert. When making the line shorter or angling it higher we gave the pendulum more potential energy because the sinker was further from the ground giving it gravitational energy.