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Two pendulums differing only in the mass of the bob will:
ASwing with different periods
BRefuse to swing at all
CSwing in opposite directions
DSwing with the same period
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Swing with the same period
1. A pendulum's period is set by length and gravity alone.
2. The movement of the pendulums will not differ at all because the mass of the bob has no effect on the motion of a simple pendulum.
3. The pendulums are only affected by the period, which is related to the pendulum's length, and by the acceleration due to gravity.
4. So the heavier bob does not swing faster or slower.
5. This is the same reason all objects fall at the same rate in the absence of air.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics for AP(R) Courses 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 16 'Oscillatory Motion and Waves', sections 16.1-16.11_
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