Question

A compound pendulum of mass 0.8 kg and length 1.2 m swings about a pivot point located at one end of the pendulum.

(a) Find its frequency of oscillation.

(b) Find the center of oscillation of the pendulum.

Answer 1

(a) Frequency:

$$f=\dfrac 1T=\dfrac1{2\pi}\sqrt{\dfrac{mgd}{I}}=\dfrac1{2\pi}\sqrt{\dfrac{mgd}{md^2}}=0.45\text{ Hz}.$$

(b) The center of oscillation of the pendulum 1.2 m above the mass.