Practice question · Multiple choice
A pendulum’s period is independent of its amplitude for small swings but not for large ones. Why does amplitude-independence fail at large angles?
Hints
- Compare with at 5° and at 60°.
- What does SHM require of the restoring force?
Show the answer
B. The approximation that
Why
SHM is defined by a restoring force proportional to displacement. The pendulum only approximates that condition, and amplitude-independence is a property of the approximation rather than of the pendulum.
Practise Oscillations and Simple Harmonic Motion
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