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Analysis of pendulum period with an iPod touch/iPhone

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 PAPERS
iopscience.org/ped

Analysis of pendulum period with

an iPod touch/iPhone
Justin Briggle
Department of Chemistry, East Texas Baptist University, One Tiger Drive, Marshall,
TX 75670, USA

E-mail: jbriggle@etbu.edu

Abstract
We describe the use of Apples iPod touch/iPhone, acting as the pendulum
bob, as a means of measuring pendulum period, making use of the devices
three-axis digital accelerometer and the freely available SPARKvue app
from PASCO scientific. The method can be readily incorporated into an
introductory physics laboratory experiment. Moreover, the principles
described may be carried out with any number of smartphone devices
containing an integrated accelerometer and paired with an appropriate
application for collecting and sending accelerometer data as a
comma-separated value file.

Introduction available photogate timers to determine the

Pendulum motion presents students with one of pendulums period.
the more striking examples of motion which Here we describe the use of Apples iPod
cannot be analysed with the traditional kinematic touch/iPhone, a readily available device among
equations developed in introductory physics mobile phone consumers [3], being used as a
pendulum bob, as a means of obtaining the
courses. Textbooks, such as Giancolis Physics:
period of a pendulum from acceleration data
Principles with Applications [1], typically present
measured via the devices accelerometer. Other
pendulum motion immediately following simple
smartphone devices containing an accelerometer
harmonic motion (SHM). The small-angle ap-
and a proper application for collecting and
proximation is applied and the motion of the sim-
sending accelerometer data may also be used. In
ple pendulum is found to undergo, approximately,
previous papers, accelerometers have been used to
SHM. That is to say, the pendulums restoring
study a pendulum amusement rides acceleration
force at small angles is directly proportional to
and rotation [4], inertial navigation [5] and forced
its displacement from the equilibrium position,
and damped harmonic oscillations [6]. Additional
otherwise known as Hookes law.
information may be easily extracted from the
Typical introductory pendulum experiments,
acceleration data collected and used for the
such as that published by PASCO scientific [2],
construction of laboratory experiments of varying
involve the measurement of a pendulums period
degrees of academic rigour (e.g. the analysis of
as the length and mass of the pendulum are varied.
damped harmonic motion).
It is found, when the angle is kept small, that
the period depends only upon the length and is
independent of its mass. Calculations associated Experimental apparatus and procedure
with this type of analysis generally involve Apples second-generation iPod touch [7], run-
measurements being obtained with commercially ning the iOS 4.2.1 mobile operating system [8],

c 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd

0031-9120/13/030285+04$33.00 PHYSICS EDUCATION 48 (3) 285
J Briggle
with the freely available SPARKvue app (v.1.2.1)
from PASCO scientific [9] was used to obtain
acceleration data. The iPod touchs internal
three-axis digital accelerometer coupled with the
SPARKvue app allows for the measurement of
accelerations in the x-, y- and z-directions and the
resultant as a function of time. The data obtained
are sent via email as a comma-separated value
(.csv) file using the apps export data function.
Once the data is in the .csv format, any typical
graphing/spreadsheet program may be used to
construct graphs of the data for analysis.
Using the add experiment function of
SPARKvue at app startup, the following values
were set: measurement was set to Accelerometer,
X, units were set to m/s/s, sample rate was set
to the maximum of 50 Hz and duration was set
to 60 s. It should be noted that regardless of
setting the measurement to one axis, the generated
.csv file will contain acceleration data for each
of the three axes in addition to the resultant
data in units of m/s/s and gs, scalar quantities
of the standard value of gravity (i.e. fractions of
g). The accelerometer of the iPod touch, when
in landscape mode facing the viewer, associates
motion from side to side with the y-direction, up
Figure 1. Orientation of the suspended iPod touch in
and down with the x-direction and away from and its case.
towards the viewer with the z-direction.
The device was secured in a snug fitting
case oriented horizontally, with the iPod touch experiment duration expired. Pendulum period
in landscape mode, perpendicular to the floor data were simultaneously collected on a PASCO
as shown in figure 1. The mass of the device scientific photogate timer model ME-9215B [10]
in its case, m, was obtained with a triple-beam for comparative purposes. The experiment was
balance to the nearest 0.01 g. A string was passed repeated with two 100 g masses suspended from
through both corners at the top of the case and each side of the iPod touch in its case without
tied around an elevated, level, rod, forming a large changing the pendulum length.
loop. The pendulum length, L, was determined
by measuring the distance between the top of
the elevated rod, the fulcrum, and the centre of Results and discussion
the suspended device in its case, the approximate
centre of mass, with a metre stick to the nearest Figure 2 shows the acceleration in the y-direction,
0.1 cm. vertical motion, as a function of time for the iPod
After having opened the SPARKvue app on touch in its case with a mass, m, of 210.69 g
the iPod touch, and selecting the experiment and a pendulum length, L, of 0.675 m from
previously added, the play button was touched 30.00 to 35.00 s. Each minimum corresponds to
and the device was placed in its case as described times when the pendulum is at its equilibrium
above and shown in figure 1. The suspended position. Alternatively, the maxima correspond
iPod touch in its case was pulled away from to times when the pendulum is at one of
its resting position, maintaining a taut string, by its amplitude positions. The period, being one
some small angle, and after being gently released, complete oscillation, may be easily found by
was allowed to swing freely until the 60 s determining the difference in time between three

286 PHYSICS EDUCATION May 2013

acceleration, y-direction (m s2) Analysis of pendulum period with an iPod touch/iPhone

acceleration, y-direction (m s2)

8 8

10
10

12
12
30.42 s 31.22 s 32.08 s 32.90 s 33.72 s 34.56 s 30.72 s 31.55 s 32.42 s 33.22 s 34.07 s 34.88 s
T = 1.67 0.02 s
T = 1.66 0.02 s 14
14 30 31 32 33 34 35
30 31 32 33 34 35 time (s)
time (s)

Figure 3. Acceleration in the y-direction of the iPod

Figure 2. Acceleration in the y-direction of the iPod touch in its case with a total mass of 410.69 g and length
touch in its case with a total mass of 210.69 g and length of 0.675 m.
of 0.675 m.

period value of 1.65 s.

consecutive minima or maxima. In figure 1 it was
found that the period, T, according to minima,
s
L
was 1.66 0.02 s, determined by the average and T = 2 . (1)
g
standard deviation of all period values from 30.00
to 35.00 s. It is worth noting that the value of the It should be noted that all acceleration data
accelerations at the maxima alternate between two in the vertical direction, as shown in figures 2
distinct numbers. This is probably due to a slight and 3, contain the acceleration due to gravity.
variation in the angle of the iPod touch in its case If data without gravity are desired for further
at the amplitudes, i.e. the device is more or less calculations, the null data, i.e. the acceleration
angled at one amplitude versus the other, thus the data as measured without pendulum motion,
device, in one direction, sees more or less of the must be subtracted from all vertical direction
acceleration vector in the direction of interest. acceleration data.
The period, as measured with the PASCO
scientific photogate timer, to the nearest 0.01 s,
was 1.67 s, in good agreement with the iPod touch Conclusion
data. It should be noted that the photogate infrared
beam was positioned as close as possible to the The technique presented here offers educators
approximate centre of mass, as determined in the and students the ability to accurately measure
pendulum length measurement. the period of a pendulum at various lengths and
Figure 3 similarly shows the acceleration with various masses using a readily available
in the y-direction as a function of time for the device. We have shown that our data matches,
device in its case with a mass, m, of 410.69 g to the nearest hundredth of a second, those data
and a length, L, of 0.675 m from 30.00 to obtained with a commercially available photogate
35.00 s. As is expected with an unchanging timer. This paper may be easily incorporated
pendulum length, the period is shown to remain into an introductory physics experiment on
constant and was found to be 1.67 0.02 s, not pendulum motion. Further information regarding
the pendulum and its motion may be found
significantly different from the period determined
with zeroed acceleration data for additional
at the previous mass according to a t-test.
experimentation.
Using the standard equation (1) and value for
gravity, g = 9.80 m s2 , presented in physics texts Received 19 October 2012, in final form 2 November 2012
for calculating the pendulums period, we obtain a doi:10.1088/0031-9120/48/3/285

May 2013 PHYSICS EDUCATION 287

J Briggle
References
[1] Giancoli D C 2005 Physics: Principles with
Applications 6th edn (Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice-Hall) pp 28797
[2] Instruction manual and experiment guide for the
PASCO scientific model ME-9215B photogate
timer 012-06379B Manual (Roseville, CA:
PASCO scientific) pp 235 (www.pasco.com/
file downloads/product manuals/
Photogate-Timer-Manual-ME-9215B.pdf)
[3] Kellogg D 2011 40 Percent of US Mobile Users
Own Smartphones; 40 Percent are Android
The Nielsen Company http://blog.nielsen.
com/nielsenwire/online mobile/40-percent-of-
u-s-mobile-users-own-smartphones-40-
percent-are-android/
[4] Pendrill A-M and Rohlen J 2011 Acceleration
and rotation in a pendulum ride, measured
using an iPhone 4 Phys. Educ. 46 67681
[5] Baird W H 2009 An introduction to inertial
navigation Am. J. Phys. 77 8447
288 PHYSICS EDUCATION
[6] Hunt J L 1985 Forced and damped harmonic
oscillator experiment using an accelerometer
Am. J. Phys. 53 2789
[7] 2010 iPod touch (2nd generation)Technical
Specifications (Cupertino, CA: Apple)
http://support.apple.com/kb/SP496
[8] 2010 iOS 4.2 Software Update (Cupertino, CA:
Apple) http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1061
[9] SparkVUE 2011 PASCO scientific, iTunes App
Store Version 1.2.1 http://itunes.apple.com/us/
app/sparkvue/id361907181?mt=8
[10] Photogate Timer Model ME-9215B, PASCO
scientific 2011 http://store.pasco.com/
pascostore/showdetl.cfm?&DID=9&Product
ID=50682&groupID=351&page=Manuals
Justin Briggle has been professor of
chemistry at East Texas Baptist
University, USA since 2005.
May 2013