Students will solve a problem that incorporates scientific processes and cognitive skills that have been introduced during previous Units.
Students will be introduced to the pendulum. Students will use this simple device to investigate parameters (variables) that could potentially influence the period of the pendulum. The period of a pendulum is the length of time it takes for the bob (object) at the end of the pendulum to traverse the path from the moment of release to its return back to the point of release. Thus, the period is the time required for the bob to leave one extreme position, swing to the other extreme,
and then return.
In order to analyze the influence of the three parameters described above on the pendulum’s period, students will be required to design and conduct their own experiments. To do so, they will follow the steps of the Scientific Method.
Conceptual Themes addressed in this Unit:
- Force and Motion