Overview of the basics of a simple pendulum. Explores relations between mass, length of string, period, and energy. Some problems and solutions to these problems are provided at the end of the document to confirm your understandings.

4. Test Your Understanding:
1. Consider two pendulums. Pendulum 1 has a string of shorter length than Pendulum 2 and
Pendulum 2 has a object mass greater than Pendulum 1. Which of the following is true?
a.) Pendulum 1 has a greater period than Pendulum 2 because it has a smaller mass.
b.) Pendulum 2 has a greater period than pendulum 1 because its string has a longer length.
c.) The period of the two pendulums cannot be compared without more information.
d.) The two pendulums have the same period.
2. A pendulum has a mass m and a string length of L. What will happen to its total energy if L is
doubled?
a) Increase by a factor of 2
b) Decrease by a factor of
1
2
c) Increase by a factor of √2
d) Decrease by a factor of √
1
2
e) No change.
3) A pendulum has a mass m and a string length of L. What will happen to its total energy if m is
halved?
a) Increase by a factor of 2
b) Decrease by a factor of
1
2
c) Increase by a factor of √2
d) Decrease by a factor of √
1
2
e) No change.

5. Answers:
1.b
2.a
3.d