Bifilar, trifilar pendulum theory.

July 31, 2006

SIDE VIEW

2r ! "ifilar #2$filament% pendulum i& &ho'n in the &(et)h. ! ma&& of o*erall len+th 2r i& &u&pended "y t'o filament& #li+ht )ord&% ea)h of len+th . ,ormally, one 'i&he& the filament len+th to "e lon+er than 2r, may"e 3 or - time& 2r. .or a &ymmetri) o"/e)t #li(e a uniform "ar% it i& &et into motion in and out of the pa+e #the left end +oe& into the pa+e a& the ri+ht end )ome& out of the pa+e%. 0o find out the fre1uen)y of o&)illation 'e refer to a top *ie', and apply tor1ue 2 I , 'here i& the an+ular a))eration. The z-axis is up out of the page in the top view shown at the right. 0he tor1ue i& )al)ulated "y r 3 .. !t e1ui"rium, the net tor1ue on the "ody 045 a"out it& )m i& 6ero. 0he for)e on ea)h end VIEW r i& +i*en "y 7 m+ in the 86 dire)tion, and 'hen r from the )m i& )ro&&ed into the for)e at the end, y 'e o"tain a tor1ue at ea)h end. !t the ri+ht end the tor1ue i& do'n #$y dire)tion% and at the left end 3 6 #out of pa+e% the tor1ue i& up #8y$dire)tion%. 0he&e t'o add *e)torially to 6ero, /u&t a& they &hould 'hen 'e are at e1uili"rium. When the o"/e)t i& rotated throu+h a &mall an+le, the for)e )ontinue& to "e mo&tly up'ard due to the ten&ion in the filament, "ut there i& an additional ten&ion )omponent. 0he o"/e)t i& no' &ho'n a& a "ar rotated throu+h a &mall )lo)('i&e an+le. 0he additional ten&ion )omponent& .d are &ho'n at ea)h end of the "ar. When d r from the )m i& )ro&&ed into the e3tra ten&ion at the ri+ht end of the "ar, 'e find a tor1ue )omponent in the 86 dire)tion. When r from the )m to the other end of the "ar i& )ro&&ed into the e3tra ten&ion at the left end, 'e find a tor1ue )omponent in the 86 dire)tion al&o. 0he&e tor1ue& add in&tead of )an)ellin+, and 'e ha*e a net tor1ue due to the t'i&tin+ of the "ar "efore 'e relea&e it to &tart rotatin+. 0he &mall di&pla)ement at either end of the "ar i& d, and len+th of the "ar i& 2r, &o the an+le throu+h 'hi)h the "ar i& rotated i& +i*en "y tan d9r . Sin)e at &mall an+le& tan 3 3, 'e ha*e d9r.

0he e3tra for)e e3erted "y ea)h filament i& .d 'hen 'e di&pla)e the rod "y d. 0he e3tra tor1ue i& r 3 .d, a ma+nitude of r .d &in #:0o $ %. 0hi& i& appro3imately e1ual to r .d. Sin)e r 2 len+th92, and "e)au&e there are t'o tor1ue& addin+, the total tor1ue i& len+th .d 2 2r .d. 0o o"tain an e3pre&&ion for .d 'e need to refer to the &(et)h at the ri+ht, 'hi)h &ho'& a &ide *ie' of the for)e& after the "ar ha& "een t'i&ted at ea)h end "y a di&pla)ement d. ; 7 m+

d .d 0he left$hand trian+le &ho'& the di&tan)e& and d in*ol*ed, 'hile the ri+ht$hand tran+le &ho'& the for)e& in*ol*ed in one filament, 7 m+ and .d. Be)au&e the trian+le& are &imilar, 'e )an &ay d9 ; 2 7 m+ 9 .d . .or &mall d, i& nearly e1ual to ; #try d 2 0.03 m, 2 1 m and &ee ho' "i+ ; i&% .d 2 7 m+ d9 . 0hen the total tor1ue ma+nitude i& < tor1ue < 2 7 2r m+ d9 . .rom the trian+le& in the hori6ontal plane 'e found out that d 2 r, &o 'e )an 'rite the tor1ue a& tor1ue 2 $ # m+ r29 % . #We put in the minu& &i+n &in)e the tor1ue tend& to de)rea&e the an+le .% Sin)e tor1ue 2 I , 'e no' 'rite tor1ue 2 I , or $m+ r29 2 I d29dt2 , 'here I i& the rotational inertia of the o"/e)t 'ith re&pe)t to it& )m. 0hi& e1uation i& /u&t li(e that of the ma&&$&prin+ &y&tem $ ( 3 2 m d239dt2 , 'ith ( 2 m+ r29 , m 2 I, and playin+ the role of 3. .or a ma&&$&prin+ the o&)illation fre1uen)y i& ma&&$&prin+ 2 #(9m%, &o for the "ifilar pendulum 'e finally ha*e # 'ith 0 2 pendulum period, 2r 2 di&tan)e "et'een &upport&, 2 *erti)al len+th from )eilin+ to )m %

"ifilar 2 =m+r29#I %> 2 290 .