Question

Some people think a pendulum with a period of (1.00 s) can be driven with "mental energy" or psychokinetically, because its period is the same as an average heartbeat. True or not, what is the length of such a pendulum?

a) (0.250 m)
b) (0.500 m)
c) (1.00 m)
d) (2.00 m)

Answer 1

The length of a pendulum with a period of 1.00 second is approximately 0.250 meters, calculated by rearranging the pendulum period formula and plugging in the known values for period and the acceleration due to gravity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The period T of a simple 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, which is approximately 9.81 m/s² near the Earth's surface. Given that the period T is 1.00 s, we can rearrange the formula to solve for L as follows:

L = (T/2π)² * g

Plugging in the values:

L = (1.00 s / 2π)² * 9.81 m/s²

L ≈ 0.250 m

Therefore, the length of a pendulum with a period of 1.00 s is approximately 0.250 meters, which corresponds to option (a).