OBJECT: To study the properties of a compound pendulum, and to determine the acceleration due to gravity by the use of such a pendulum.
METHOD: An experimental pendulum is suspended successively about several axes at different points along its length and the period about each axis is observed. A graph is plotted of the period versus the distance of the axis of suspension from one end of the pendulum. The nature of the graph shows the physical properties of the compound pendulum. From values of the period and the corresponding length of the equivalent simple pendulum as determined from the graph, the acceleration due to gravity is calculated. From the mass of the pendulum and its radius of gyration as obtained from the curve, the rotational inertia of the pendulum is computed.
