alleryStart learning →What counts as a simple pendulum?
AA heavy rod that swings about one end
BA mass sliding on a frictionless curve
CA small mass hung from a light string
DA stiff spring loaded with a small mass
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. A small mass hung from a light string
1. A simple pendulum is an object of small mass, the bob, hung from a light wire or string.
2. The string must have very little mass of its own and must not stretch noticeably.
3. A heavy swinging rod spreads its mass along its length, so it is not the simple pendulum treated here.
4. A mass on a spring is a simple harmonic oscillator too, but its restoring force comes from the spring, not from gravity acting on a hanging bob.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 16 "Oscillatory Motion and Waves", section 16.4 The Simple Pendulum_
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