Your 'pearl pendulum' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.
Your general comment, if any:
Though I have not received the lab kit from the bookstore - I have suprisingly found the lab kit that I got this past summer semester at the old house on my very last trip to complete the move to Richmond. I hope it still contains all of its contents as it was opened when I found it.
Your description of the rhythm of the pendulum when tilted 'back'
The sounds get closer together or faster.
Your description of the rhythm of the pendulum when tilted 'forward'
The sound got slower as it was tilted forward.
Your description of the process used to keep the rhythm steady and the results you observed:
The rythm stayed steady when set flat on the desk. The pendulum hit the bracket 8 distinguishable times before the rest of the hits sounded as if they run together. I think it actually hit about 10 times.
Your description of what happened on the tilted surface (textbook and domino), rotating the system 45 degrees at a time:
As the pearl points to the:
-West I get about 8 constant rate hits
-Northwest I get about 8 hits at a slightly faster rate
-North I get about 8 hits at a faster rate
-Northeast I get about 8 hits at the same rate as northwest
-East I get about 8 hits at a slightly slower rate
-Southeast I get about 7 hits at a slower rate
-South I get 6 hits at a slower rate
-Southwest I get about 7 hits at the same rate as southeast
Your description of how you oriented the bracket on the tilted surface to obtain a steady rhythm:
I would point the bracket to the northwest or northeast corners to obtain the most regular sounding beat.
Your report of 8 time intervals between release and the second 'hit':
trial1
1 338.1563 338.1563
2 338.4531 .296875
3 338.6719 .21875
4 338.8438 .171875
5 339.0313 .1875
6 339.2031 .171875
7 339.3906 .1875
8 339.5625 .171875
trial2
1 406.2344 406.2344
2 406.4688 .234375
3 406.6563 .1875
4 406.8906 .234375
5 407.0625 .171875
6 407.2813 .21875
7 407.4531 .171875
Your report of 4 trials timing alternate hits starting with the second 'hit':
I am not sure of why the numbers are different except that every click might not be exact.
The length of your pendulum in cm (you might have reported length in mm; the request in your instructions might have been ambiguous):
approximately 4 centimeters
Your time intervals for alternate 'hits', starting from release until the pendulum stops swinging:
I seem to have trouble timing accurately but it seems to speed up as it gets closer
remember that the pendulum is to be oriented and if necessary 'shimmed' so that the rhythm neither speeds up nor slows down
Your description of the pendulum's motion from release to the 2d hit:
It swings down and to the right towards the bracket.
Your description of the pendulum's motion from the 2d hit to 4th hit:
The pearl is not coming back out as far to swing back to the second hit as it was pulled back for the first hit.
Your description of the difference in the pendulum's motion from release to the 2d 'hit', compared to the motion from the 2d 'hit' to the 4th hit:
Each hit is sending on only a portion of its previous energy.
Your description of the difference in the pendulum's motion from the 2d to the 4th 'hit' compared to the motion from the 4th to 6th hit:
Same answer as above
Your conjecture as to why a clear difference occurs in some intervals vs. others:
we would expect this because there is more force behind it.
What evidence is there that subsequent intervals increase, decrease or remain the same:
decrease (or get closer together)
What evidence is there that the time between 'hits' is independent of the amplitude of the swing?
The distance of how far it swings should make a difference in the force behind it thus making time intervals differ.
Approximately an hour and a half
( I had a lot of distractions )
Your report has been received. We will be discussing this work as a group, after the due date.