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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
mobile phone consumers [3], being used as a
equations developed in introductory physics
pendulum bob, as a means of obtaining the period
courses. Textbooks, such as Giancolis Physics:
of a pendulum from acceleration data measured
Principles with Applications [1], typically present
via the devices accelerometer. Other smartphone
pendulum motion immediately following simple
devices containing an accelerometer and a proper
harmonic motion (SHM). The small-angle ap-
application for collecting and sending
proximation is applied and the motion of the sim-
accelerometer data may also be used. In previous
ple pendulum is found to undergo, approximately,
papers, accelerometers have been used to study a
SHM. That is to say, the pendulums restoring
pendulum amusement rides acceleration and
force at small angles is directly proportional to its
rotation [4], inertial navigation [5] and forced and
displacement from the equilibrium position,
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],

0031-9120/13/030285+04$33.00 c 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd

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 its
and down with the x-direction and away from and case.
towards the viewer with the z-direction.
The device was secured in a snug fitting case
oriented horizontally, with the iPod touch in experiment duration expired. Pendulum period
landscape mode, perpendicular to the floor as data were simultaneously collected on a PASCO
shown in figure 1. The mass of the device in its scientific photogate timer model ME-9215B [10]
case, m, was obtained with a triple-beam balance for comparative purposes. The experiment was
to the nearest 0.01 g. A string was passed through repeated with two 100 g masses suspended from
both corners at the top of the case and tied around each side of the iPod touch in its case without
an elevated, level, rod, forming a large loop. The changing the pendulum length.
pendulum length, L, was determined by
measuring the distance between the top of the
elevated rod, the fulcrum, and the centre of the Results and discussion
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 and
the iPod touch, and selecting the experiment 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 iPod position. Alternatively, the maxima correspond to
touch in its case was pulled away from its times when the pendulum is at one of its
resting position, maintaining a taut string, by 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 P H YS IC S E DUC AT I ON 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, 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 in
accelerations at the maxima alternate between two the vertical direction, as shown in figures 2 and 3,
distinct numbers. This is probably due to a slight contain the acceleration due to gravity. If data
variation in the angle of the iPod touch in its case 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, must
device, in one direction, sees more or less of the 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 and
approximate centre of mass, as determined in the students the ability to accurately measure the
pendulum length measurement. period of a pendulum at various lengths and with
Figure 3 similarly shows the acceleration in various masses using a readily available device.
the y-direction as a function of time for the device We have shown that our data matches, to the
in its case with a mass, m, of 410.69 g and a nearest hundredth of a second, those data obtained
length, L, of 0.675 m from 30.00 to with a commercially available photogate timer.
35.00 s. As is expected with an unchanging This paper may be easily incorporated into an
pendulum length, the period is shown to remain introductory physics experiment on pendulum
constant and was found to be 1.67 0.02 s, not motion. Further information regarding the
significantly different from the period determined pendulum and its motion may be found with
at the previous mass according to a t-test. zeroed acceleration data for additional
Using the standard equation (1) and value for experimentation.
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 P H YS IC S E DUC AT I ON 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 P H YS IC S E DUC AT I ON
[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