- #1
MuonMinus
- 8
- 0
Homework Statement
Question: If a child gets up from sitting position to standing while swinging, how does the period change?
Homework Equations
Period of a physical pendulum: T = 2π√(I/mgL), where I is the moment of inertia and L is the distance between the pivot and center of mass
Period of a simple (mathematical) pendulum: T = 2π√(L/g), where L is the distance between the (point) mass and the pivot
The Attempt at a Solution
The suggested answer I have seen is that a child on a swing is a physical pendulum. When the a child gets up, his center of mass moves up closer to the pivot point, so L (see the equation above) decreases, and the period therefore increases.
The problem I have with this answer is that when child gets up, his/her moment of inertia changes as well - how this can be taken into consideration?
Another possible answer is to consider the child a simple pendulum, in which case, when he gets up, L decreases and the period also decreases. But, in a real world, a child on a swing cannot be approximated by a simple pendulum!
How should this question be approached?