24.1: Introduction to Physical Pendulums
- Page ID
- 25582
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)We have already used Newton’s Second Law or Conservation of Energy to analyze systems like the spring-object system that oscillate. We shall now use torque and the rotational equation of motion to study oscillating systems like pendulums and torsional springs.
Simple Pendulum: Torque Approach
Recall the simple pendulum from Chapter 23.3.1.The coordinate system and force diagram for the simple pendulum is shown in Figure 24.1.
The torque about the pivot point P is given by
\[\overrightarrow{\boldsymbol{\tau}}_{P}=\overrightarrow{\mathbf{r}}_{P, m} \times m \overrightarrow{\mathbf{g}}=l \hat{\mathbf{r}} \times m g(\cos \theta \hat{\mathbf{r}}-\sin \theta \hat{\boldsymbol{\theta}})=-\operatorname{lm} g \sin \theta \hat{\mathbf{k}} \nonumber \]
The z -component of the torque about point P
\[\left(\tau_{P}\right)_{z}=-m g l \sin \theta \nonumber \]
When \(\theta>0, \quad\left(\tau_{P}\right)_{z}<0\) and the torque about P is directed in the negative \(\hat{\mathbf{k}}\)-direction (into the plane of Figure 24.1b) when \(\theta<0, \quad\left(\tau_{P}\right)_{z}>0\) and the torque about P is directed in the positive \(\hat{\mathbf{k}}\)-direction (out of the plane of Figure 24.1b). The moment of inertia of a point mass about the pivot point P is \(I_{P}=m l^{2}\). The rotational equation of motion is then
\[\begin{array}{l}
\left(\tau_{P}\right)_{z}=I_{P} \alpha_{z} \equiv I_{P} \frac{d^{2} \theta}{d t^{2}} \\
-m g l \sin \theta=m l^{2} \frac{d^{2} \theta}{d t^{2}}
\end{array} \nonumber \]
Thus we have
\[\frac{d^{2} \theta}{d t^{2}}=-\frac{g}{l} \sin \theta \nonumber \]
agreeing with Equation 23. 3.14. When the angle of oscillation is small, we may use the small angle approximation
\[\sin \theta \cong \theta \nonumber \]
and Equation (24.1.4) reduces to the simple harmonic oscillator equation
\[\frac{d^{2} \theta}{d t^{2}} \cong-\frac{g}{l} \theta \nonumber \]
We have already studied the solutions to this equation in Chapter 23.3. A procedure for determining the period when the small angle approximation does not hold is given in Appendix 24A.