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No, weight does not factor into a pendulum swing (in a vacuum)

Note that gravity effects all objects the same, drop a 10 pound weight and a 1 pound weight from the same distance and they will hit the ground at the same time.

As long as friction from the air does not play a roll for example as with a feather vs a Bowling ball, (which will actually hit the ground at the same time if they are in a vacuum) the weight of the bob should not matter.

However, because there are very slight variations in gravity with different elevations pendulums of the same weight will swing at different time intervals if one is on top of a mountain and one is at sea level.

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Q: Does the weight of the bob effect the swinging of a pendulum?
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What variable might affect the number of cycles the pendulum makes in fifteen seconds?

The period of the pendulum can be influenced by the local magnitude of gravity, by the length of the string, and by the density of the material in the swinging rod (which influences the effective length).It's not affected by the weight of the bob, or by how far you pull it to the side before you let it go.


How is the the time period of a pendulum affected when the bob of the simple pendulum is filled with mercury?

Answer #1:Your question cannot be answered without knowing what the pendulum wasfilled with before it was filled with mercury.If it had nothing in it, before, then adding the mercury would increase theperiod time.If it had lead in it before, then adding the mercury would decrease the periodtime.================================Answer #2:The period of a simple pendulum doesn't depend on the weight (mass) of thebob. As long as the bob is much heavier than the string, and air resistance canbe ignored, nothing you do to the bob has any effect on the period.


How do you make a pendulum clock is it the weight or the length of the string?

It is the length of the pendulum that matters (for small angles of swing): period ~= 2{pi}sqrt(length/g) Note that the "length" specified above is the length between the pivot and the centre of the mass of the pendulum, which is usually somewhere near the centre of the bob due to lightweight string and heavy bob on the end. Pennies (1d coins) are used to adjust the period of the clock in St Stephen's tower of the UK's Parliament building (of which the hour bell is Big Ben) not by adjusting the weight of the bob, but by adjusting the centre of the mass of the bob by stacking the coins towards the pivot.


How does a pendulum bob filled with sand and a hole at bottom affect the time period?

At the extremities of the pendulum's swing, the sand leaving the bob could exert a force on the bob. Provided that this force is negligible and also, provided the mass of the bob (with or without the sand) is large compared with the rest of the pendulum, the time period should not be affected.


How does the bob affects the period of a pendulum?

The period of a pendulum is totally un-affected by the mass of the bob.The time period of pendulum is given by the eqn.T=2*PIE*(l/g)1/2 ;l is the length of pendulum;g is the acceleration due to gravity.'l' is the length from the centre of suspension to the centre of gravity the bob.ie.the length of the pendulum depends on the centre of gravity of the bob,and hence the distribution of mass of the bob.

Related questions

What is the swinging mass called at the bottom of pendulum?

The swinging mass at the bottom of a pendulum is called the "bob." It is typically a dense object such as a metal ball or disk that helps regulate the motion of the pendulum.


Why is the weight on a pendulum called bob?

The weight on a pendulum is called a "bob" because the term "bob" historically referred to any weight suspended from a string or rope. It is often used in mechanical devices like pendulums to provide a swinging motion.


What is a pendulum bob?

The bob is the weight on the end of the pendulum.


The weight on a pendulum is called?

The weight on a pendulum is called a bob or pendulum bob. It is a mass that hangs from the end of the pendulum arm and helps determine the period of oscillation.


What effect does decreasing the weight of the bob have on the period of the pendulum?

Decreasing the weight of the bob will have little to no effect on the period of the pendulum. The period of a pendulum is mainly determined by the length of the string and the acceleration due to gravity, not the weight of the bob. The period remains relatively constant as long as the length of the string and the gravitational acceleration remain constant.


Does the weight effect the period of a pendulum?

Yes, the period of a pendulum is not affected by the weight of the pendulum bob. The period is determined by the length of the pendulum and the acceleration due to gravity. A heavier pendulum bob will swing with the same period as a lighter one of the same length.


What property of a pendulum does not affect its period?

The mass of the pendulum does not affect its period. The period of a pendulum is only affected by the length of the pendulum and the acceleration due to gravity.


What simple machine is a pendulum?

A pendulum is a type of simple machine called a lever. It consists of a rod with a weight (bob) at one end and a pivot point at the other. The swinging motion of the pendulum results from the transfer of gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy.


What is the bob of a pendulum?

The bob of a pendulum is the mass or weight located at the bottom end of the pendulum that swings back and forth. It helps determine the period of the pendulum's motion and influences its overall behavior.


Rosa's family has a grandfather clock with a pendulum The clock is not keeping time correctly because the pendulum is swinging too quickly What could Rosa do to slow down the pendulum swing?

Rosa can adjust the pendulum's length by moving the bob (weight) up towards the base to make it swing slower. This can usually be done by turning a nut or screw located on the bottom of the pendulum. Gradually adjust the length and observe how it affects the swing until the desired speed is achieved.


WHAT IS the term for the mass at the end of a pendulum?

The term for the mass at the end of a pendulum is the "bob." The bob's weight affects the pendulum's period and oscillation behavior.


Does the period of a pendulum increases if you increase the weight?

In an 'ideal' pendulum ... on paper ... the string that holds the 'bob' has no weight of its own, and ALL of the weight is in the bob. If that's true, then the formulaa for the period doesn't involve the weight of the bob, and it has no effect.In a 'real' pendulum, the string always has some weight of its own. In that case, technically, a heavier bob would move the 'average' center of mass lower, and would technically increase the period of the swing. But unles you're using a piece of steel anchor-cable for a string, the weight of the bob has no noticeable effect on the period.