A pendulum clock is taken from the Earth's surface to the Moon, where surface gravity is approximately that of Earth. How does the period of the pendulum change?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. It increases
- Step 1: Recall the period formula for a simple pendulum: .
- Step 2: Since period is inversely proportional to the square root of gravitational acceleration (), a smaller on the Moon causes to increase (it swings slower).
Answer
It increases.
Why not the others: 'It decreases' would happen if gravity were stronger; 'It remains unchanged' is true for spring-mass oscillators (), not gravitational pendulums; 'Becomes zero' is physically impossible.
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