Question

Why do shorter pendulums swing faster?

Answer 1

Hint: A pendulum is a weight hanging from one point and allowed to swing back and forth in response to the force of gravity. Clocks employ pendulums to keep accurate time because the time it takes for the pendulum to complete an oscillation, or period, is always the same.

Complete answer:
When Galileo saw (about 1583) that his pulse rate was the same as the period of a pendulum, he made the connection between the two phenomena. In 1656, Dutch mathematician and physicist Christiaan Huygens designed a clock that was driven by the swing of a pendulum. Huygens rectified the crucial issue of creating the period of a pendulum fully constant by inventing a pivot that resulted the hanging body, or bob, to spin along the arc of a cycloid instead of that of a circle. Some authorities credit Galileo with inventing the pendulum clock, while others credit Huygens.

The time of the pendulum is given by the formula that is:
$T=2\pi \sqrt{\frac{L}{g}}$,
where $T$ is the time taken by the pendulum to swing, $L$is the length of the bob which is suspended in the air and $g$is the action of gravity on the bob.

So, from the above formula we can derive the relation between the length of the bob and the time taken by it for swing. Time is directly proportional to the length of the bob.

Therefore, shorter the length shorter will be time taken by it to swing. Hence, shorter pendulum swing faster.

Note:Take note that the mass of the bob has no effect on the period of the pendulum. Time is independent of mass, as we saw above, but is instead it is dependent on the length of the string and gravity plays a major role in this case.