Final answer:
The period of a simple pendulum is affected by the length of the string and the acceleration due to gravity, while the mass of the pendulum and small angles of displacement have a negligible effect on the period.
Step-by-step explanation:
The period of a simple pendulum is determined by its length and the acceleration due to gravity. Remarkably, factors such as the mass of the pendulum and the angle of displacement do not affect the period of oscillation of a simple pendulum as much as one might think. The mass of the pendulum bob has no effect on the motion of a simple pendulum, meaning that pendulums with different masses but the same length and suspended in the same gravitational field will have the same period of oscillation.
Additionally, the period is nearly independent of amplitude, particularly when the angle of displacement is less than about 15 degrees. At this small amplitude, the motion of the pendulum behaves like a simple harmonic oscillator. Larger angles of displacement lead to anharmonic behavior, which can affect the period, but for small angles, this effect is negligible.
Overall, the key takeaway is that the length of the string of the pendulum and the strength of gravity at its location are the main factors that influence its period. These insights allow pendulum clocks to be finely adjusted for precise timekeeping.