{"id":5273,"date":"2018-02-26T21:15:40","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T04:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/?p=5273"},"modified":"2018-02-26T21:22:27","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T04:22:27","slug":"using-gem-to-explore-pendular-motion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/2018\/02\/26\/using-gem-to-explore-pendular-motion\/","title":{"rendered":"Using GEM to Explore Pendular Motion"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a moment, imagine a 1-m pendulum with a 500g bob on one end. \u00a0The pendulum is given an initial starting angle of 20\u00b0. \u00a0Which of the following actions will increase or decrease the period of the pendulum swing?<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Shortening or lengthening the length of the pendulum<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Decreasing or increasing the mass of the bob<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Increasing or decreasing the starting angle by 10\u00b0.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This is one of my favourite questions to ask a class of Physics 11 students in order to introduce pendular motion. \u00a0While usually all students are familiar with pendulums, few have ever taken the time to evaluate how length, mass and starting angle affect its period. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    In this lesson plan below, the teacher addr<\/span>esses pendular using a 3 step T-GEM cycle with their class:<\/p>\n

    Step 1: Bac<\/b>\"\"kground content i<\/b>nformation<\/b><\/p>\n

    Class discussion a<\/span>nd traditional notes:<\/p>\n

    What is a pend<\/span><\/em>ulum? \u00a0What are some examples?<\/em><\/p>\n

    How do they work?
    \n<\/span><\/em>What are the parts of a pendulum?
    \n<\/span><\/em>What is the period of a pendulum?
    \n<\/span><\/em>What is the frequency of a pendulum?
    \n<\/span><\/em>What variables affect a pendulum’s period?<\/em><\/p>\n