Competing Pendulums
The two pendulums shown in Figure 1 were printed on a 3D printer. The .STL file is included with this lesson so you can print them with your 3D printer. They have the same length, same mass, and same thickness. They swing about a piece of metal rod from a coat hanger. To provide a rigid support, the rod has been attached to a ring stand. A tiny magnet has been taped to the bottom of each pendulum. PocketLab Voyager's magnetic field sensor keeps track of the motion as the pendulums swing back-and-forth. What is your prediction as to which one has the shortest period, or will the periods both be the same? After making your prediction, perform an experiment to determine the actual periods. Does your prediction agree with your experimental results? Explain.
The 3D Printer Images
Figure 2 shows images of the objects in the accompanying .STL file. The cylinder is used to help hold the metal rod in the ring stand clamp.