A pendulum of length L is suspended from the ceiling of an elevator.When the elevator is at rest the period of the pendulum is T.How would the period of the pendulum change if the supporting chain were to break,putting the elevator into freefall?
A)The period does not change.
B)The period increases slightly.
C)The period decreases slightly.
D)The period becomes zero.
E)The period becomes infinite because the pendulum would not swing.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the elevator is in freefall, both the pendulum and the elevator are in a state of freefall, experiencing the same acceleration due to gravity. This means there is no force to restore the pendulum to its equilibrium position, so it would not swing at all. Hence, the concept of a period for the pendulum's motion does not apply, effectively making it infinite because the pendulum does not initiate any oscillatory motion.

A Pendulum of Length L Is Suspended from the Ceiling