Final answer:
If the period of a simple pendulum is 4 times greater than before, it means that the length of the string has quadrupled.
Step-by-step explanation:
The period of a pendulum is directly proportional to the length of the string. So, if you double the length of a pendulum, the period will also double. This means that the time it takes for the pendulum to swing back and forth will be twice as long compared to before.
Since the question states that the period is observed to be 4 times greater than before, we can conclude that the length of the string has also quadrupled. So, the length of the string has increased by a factor of 4.
For example, if the original length of the string was 1 meter, it would now be 4 meters.