What 3 Variables Affect the Number of Swings of a Pendulum? Title: What 3 Variables Affect the Number of Swings of a Pendulum?

Background: What do you know about pendulums Background: What do you know about pendulums? Do you know what a pendulum is? What do you know about the motion of a pendulum? What do you know?

Background: What is a variable? Is there more than one kind? If there’s more than one kind, how will you tell them apart? How would you plot a variable on a graph? What do you know?

Background:(cont. ) At this point you may need to do some research Background:(cont.) At this point you may need to do some research. You can’t form a hypothesis without background knowledge.

Wednesday September, 2011 You’re going to need to know these terms. The pendulum challenge You’re going to need to know these terms. Copy them into your journals and create an accurate definition in your own words with examples that you can understand. Vocabulary Variable Control variable Manipulated or (independent) variable Responding or (dependent) variable Operational definition Each of the underlined words above are links that will help you find and understand the meaning of the words.

Hypothesis: If ______effects the swing of a pendulum then_______________ __________________ because__________________________________

Materials: 1. pen/pencil 2. paper 3. a length of string 1. 3 Materials: 1.pen/pencil 2.paper 3.a length of string 1.3 meters long. 4.stopwatch 5.1 meter stick

6. nine washers of the. same size. 7. one stopwatch 8. graph paper 9 6.nine washers of the same size. 7.one stopwatch 8.graph paper 9. Something to hold the washers on the string.

Now that you’ve set up a test, what variables will be tested (manipulated)? What variables will stay the same? What variable will change as a result of changing the manipulated variable? Why do you think this will happen? Note: Think of your hypothesis.

Procedure: 1. Gather your materials. 2. Create a data chart Procedure: 1.Gather your materials. 2.Create a data chart which records each variable tested. and the number of swings of the pendulum.

Operational Definition What is the operational definition for,“Swing”?

Swing means… When the pendulum Moves across once? across and back?

Results: What did you observe happen ? How will you graph your results?

Graphing your results What kind of graph will best represent your data? What axis will your manipulated variable go on? What axis will your responding variable go on?

Conclusion: Give all possible reasons for your observation.Tell why you got the results that you did.Do the results match your hypothesis? If not , give possible reasons why.