Question

What is a simple pendulum? Is the simple pendulum used in a pendulum clock? Give reason to your answer.

Answer 1

A simple pendulum is defined as an object that has a small mass, also known as the pendulum bob, which is suspended from a wire or string of negligible mass. When displaced, a pendulum will oscillate around its equilibrium point due to momentum in balance with the restoring force of gravity.

Simple pendulum is ideal pendulum consisting the string having negligible mass compared to the mass of the bob. But the pendulum used in the clock has mass of the string which is not negligible, but works as the harmonic oscillator of constant frequency.

So clock does not have simple pendulum.