Question

Susan makes a simple pendulum by attaching a rock to a piece of string that is 24.6 centimeters long. Then she swings it back and forth. What is the period of her simple pendulum?

a. 1.32 seconds
b. 0.99 seconds
c. 9.81 seconds
d. 2.43 seconds

Answer 1

The period of Susan's pendulum, which is 24.6 cm long, is calculated using the formula for the period of a pendulum (T = 2π√(l/g)). After converting the length to meters, the calculated period is approximately 0.99 seconds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The period (T) of a pendulum is given by the formula ( T = 2π√(l/g) where (l) is the length of the pendulum and (g) is the acceleration due to gravity, typically approximated to 9.80 m/s² for Earth's surface. However, the length needs to be in meters for this formula. So first we convert 24.6 centimeters to meters, getting 0.246 meters. Now apply the formula: T = 2π√(l/g) = 2π√(0.246 m / 9.80 m/s²) ≈ 0.99 seconds. Thus, the period of Susan's pendulum is 0.99 seconds.