A pendulum swings with a small amplitude. The restoring force acting on the pendulum is proportional to which of the following?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
A pendulum swings with a small amplitude. The restoring force acting on the pendulum is proportional to which of the following?
Displacement from equilibrium
Velocity
Acceleration
Mass
In simple harmonic motion, the restoring force is proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium position.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: A pendulum swings with a small amplitude. The restoring force acting on the pendulum is proportional to which of the following?
Solution: In simple harmonic motion, the restoring force is proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium position.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand what a pendulum is. A pendulum is a weight attached to a string that swings back and forth.
Step 2: Learn about the equilibrium position. This is the position where the pendulum would hang straight down and not move.
Step 3: Know what restoring force means. The restoring force is the force that pulls the pendulum back towards the equilibrium position when it is displaced.
Step 4: Recognize that in simple harmonic motion, the restoring force depends on how far the pendulum is from the equilibrium position.
Step 5: Conclude that the restoring force is proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium position. This means if the pendulum is pulled further away, the restoring force becomes stronger.
