Variables

Variables Challenge: What is swinger action? Background: Where have I seen swinger or pendulum action?

Lesson Essential Questions Why is it important to control which variables stay the same and which change? How does a changing variable affect the outcome of the number of swings?

Vocbulary A variable is anything that you can change in an experiment that might affect the outcome.

A mass hanging from a fixed point that is free to swing to and fro is a pendulum.

Examples Grandfather clocks Swings Wrecking ball metronome

Other pendulums

Procedures 1. Check the measurement of the swinger 2. With class collect data for standard pendulum/swinger 3. Find class average 4. Draw and label a standard swinger 5. Predict ways to increase the number of swings. 6. Test as a class.

38 cm, even, one cent –Trials# of swings –1 –2 –3

Mass and release positions do not affect the number of swings of a pendulum.

Length of the pendulum does affect the number of cycles/swings.

standard pendulum 0ne penny, 38 cm long, even with desk

The longer the pendulum, the slower and less swings The shorter the pendulum the faster and more swings.

A graph can be used to display results. It can be used to find patterns, predict, and locate experimental errors.