Question

You have constructed a pendulum out of a long thin steel rod with a heavy mass on the end. You time the pendulum and measure the period to be exactly 2 seconds. For fun, you

decide to dip the pendulum into liquid nitrogen so that its temperature drops from room
temperature (about 20 C) to about -200 C. What happens to the period of the pendulum?

A) The period increases slightly with the drop in temperature.

B) The period decreases slightly with the drop in temperature.

C) The period stays the same because it cannot depend on temperature.

D) There is not enough information to answer this question.

Answer 1

The period of the pendulum stays the same because it does not depend on temperature.

Step-by-step explanation:

The period of a pendulum is determined by its length and the acceleration due to gravity, and is independent of factors such as mass or amplitude. Therefore, when you dip the pendulum into liquid nitrogen and the temperature drops, the period of the pendulum stays the same, option C. Temperature does not affect the length or acceleration due to gravity, so it does not change the period of the pendulum.