Question

  1. Using dimensional analysis, derive the relationship between the period of a simple pendulum, its length , and the acceleration due to gravity .

Ask by Sullivan Burns. in Zambia
Mar 24,2025

Upstudy AI Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The period of a simple pendulum is proportional to the square root of its length divided by the acceleration due to gravity . So, .

Solution

We assume the period depends on the length and the acceleration due to gravity as
where is a dimensionless constant and and are exponents to be determined.
Step 1. Determine the dimensions of each quantity
  • The dimension of the period is time: .
  • The dimension of the length is length: .
  • The dimension of the acceleration due to gravity is length per time squared: .
Step 2. Write the dimensional equation
The dimensions of the right-hand side are
For dimensional consistency with the left-hand side , we require:
This gives us two equations by equating the exponents of and on both sides.
Step 3. Equate the exponents
  • For :
  • For :
Step 4. Solve for the exponents
From the time exponent equation:
Using :
Step 5. Write the relationship
Substitute the values of and back into the original equation:
Thus, by dimensional analysis, the relationship between the period , the length , and the acceleration due to gravity is
where the proportionality constant can be determined by solving the full equations of motion (in the case of a simple pendulum, ).

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Mind Expander

To derive the relationship between the period of a simple pendulum, its length , and the acceleration due to gravity , we start with the dimensions involved. The period has the dimension of time , the length has dimension , and the acceleration has dimensions of length per time squared .
We can assume a relationship of the form:
where is a dimensionless constant, and and are exponents we need to find.
Let’s approach this by equating dimensions:
  • The left side gives .
  • The right side gives .
From the dimensions, we can set up two equations:
  1. For length:
  2. For time:
Solving the second equation gives . Plugging this into the first equation provides .
Now substituting and back, we have:
or rearranging,
In terms of a physical pendulum, the dimensionless constant is often taken as for simple pendulums, leading to the classical formula:
So there you have it—the period of a simple pendulum is directly proportional to the square root of its length and inversely proportional to the square root of the acceleration due to gravity! What a neat little relationship!
Now, if only figuring out the perfect swing was as simple! Want to impress your friends? Mention how Galileo was one of the first to study pendulums, observing their motion at the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa—talk about multitasking during a fall!

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