CREST Gold: Bifilar Pendulum

Rtvik Patel
30 June 2019

Year 11 - Winchester College

1
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

Contents
1 Introduction 3
1.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 Objective Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Setup Overview 4
2.1 Apparatus Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Reasoning behind apparatus setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.3 Time management - Gantt chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.4 Safety Precautions & Ethical Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.5 Other approaches considered & reasons behind final choice of method . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3 Experiment 1 7
3.1 Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.2 Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.3 Results Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.4 Error and Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

4 Experiment 2 9
4.1 Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.2 Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.3 Results Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.4 Error and Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

5 Final Analysis 11
5.1 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.2 Explanation of results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.3 Practical use of bifilar pendulum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5.4 Problems faced and solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5.5 Future investigations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5.6 Learning outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5.7 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
A bifilar pendulum consists of a uniform rod (or any other symmetrical object) suspended from two
parallel threads. These ‘filars’ allow the rod to freely oscillate in a circular motion about the central axis
(centre of mass) of the rod. My rod consisted of a metre ruler with holes drilled every 5cm. The rest of
my set up is indicated below.

Despite its simple nature, the bifilar pendulum is a versatile setup which is used in many areas of
physics and engineering.
In 1897 an earthquake centred on Kolkata, India was detected at the Edinburgh Royal Observatory,
Scotland via measurements made from a bifilar pendulum. This setup can also be utilised to measure
irregularities in the Earth’s spin, test UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) stability and even determine a
magnetic field’s strength when the setup uses a permanent magnet as the horizontal rod.

I wished to investigate the properties of this bifilar pendulum on a smaller, classroom scale in order
that I might observe a way to make the pendulum more sensitive.

I defined the distance between the two strings to be s, and the untwisted length of the string to be L
and sought to observe and explain the effect of changing s and L on T, the period of the rod’s oscillations.
I hope that in doing so, I might be able to determine which values of s and L would maximise T. When
T is maximised, any systems which use the bifilar pendulum become more sensitive and more accurate
readings can be taken from such systems.

My primary conclusions were as follows:

√
• T α L.

• T α 1/s.

1.2 Objective Achievement

I divided my main objective into smaller sub-objectives. These were:

• Research and develop a method to investigate the bifilar pendulum

• Design an appropriate apparatus which minimises error.
• Obtain qualitative information about the pendulum’s motion.
• Determine a quantitative relationship between L and T.

• Determine a quantitative relationship between s and T.

• Form discussion points based on results.
Whilst obtaining data points, it will be mostly unclear whether any relationship between period and
the 2 lengths exist, until I analyse our results in the form of a graph.
I will ascertain if I have been successful if any visible relationships between T, L and s are observed.
Moreover, low degrees of standard deviation in my results will be good indicators of success in my
experimental procedure.

3
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

2 Setup Overview
2.1 Apparatus Setup

Figure 1: Experimental apparatus

2.2 Reasoning behind apparatus setup

• Ensuring a constant value of s in Experiment 1 and L in Experiment 2 : I tied the strings to the
top ruler and secured the bottom ruler with blue tack. I used the pre-drilled holes in the rulers to
keep L constant.

• Ensuring the whole apparatus was parallel to the workbench: I utilised both a set square when
measuring L, and a spirit level to check that rulers were both parallel to the work bench.
• Reducing the effect of frictional forces at the interface between the strings and the rulers: to attach
the filars to the ruler I only tied knots through the pre-drilled holes to reduce the contact area and
thus the friction, which causes energy loss.

• Allowing for easy adjustment of L: I used blue-tack to hold the bottom ruler in place and this
allowed me to easily adjust the value of L, whilst securely holding the ruler in place.
• Reducing effect of timing errors: I maximised the initial amplitude of the oscillations. This increased
the accuracy of our measurements since I could see the peaks of the oscillations more clearly. Also,
by measuring the time for 15 oscillations, and then dividing this by 15 in order to obtain T, I
reduced the effect of any timing errors by taking a mean. However, beyond 15 oscillations the
amplitude of the oscillations was too small to clearly see the peaks.

N.B. All equipment was provided by the school physics department and holes had to be pre-drilled
in the metre rules.

4
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

2.3 Time management - Gantt chart

I structured and planned my project in three broad sections of work – since I was completing the project
alone with occasional advice from a teacher, I divided my time into planning, experimental work and
formulation of a write-up.
I was not sure how accurate my estimation of how long each task would take, so I left 2 weeks of extra
contingency time to account for any setbacks.
I used a Gantt chart to give times and dates for each section of work, see below. I spent 1-1.5 hours a
day on average for this 8-week period.

Figure 2: Gantt Chart

2.4 Safety Precautions & Ethical Concerns

This is a next to harmless experiment, with very little risk of injury; however, there were the following
few things to consider:
• Severing string with scissors - I ensured sensible behaviour around sharp instruments.

• Physical damage by moving parts - I gave myself surplus space to prevent a chaotic and potentially
dangerous work-space.
There were no ethical concerns.

2.5 Other approaches considered & reasons behind final choice of method
• Weighted pendulum - other research projects [3] have placed weights upon the horizontal rod (in my
case, the ruler) in order to add another variable for investigation. This could have been beneficial
since I would have been able to obtain another relationship (between mass and period in this case)
that would have helped me understand the system more deeply. Moreover, this approach would
have generated some interesting results, as unlike in a regular pendulum, the period of a bifilar
pendulum is mass-dependent. On the other hand, this would have been clunky to set up since

5
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

attaching the weights to the rod would be difficult. Further, adding extra mass would decrease the
period of the pendulum (from the equation for T derived in section 5.2), meaning the maxima and
minima of the pendulum’s oscillation would be more unclear, and thus, our results would be less
accurate.
• Cross pendulum - one other research project I reviewed [4] utilised a cross-shape made of PVC
in order to replace the horizontal rod (see below). This would have been advantageous, since the
centre of mass (the intersection of the cross) could have been easily tracked and monitored to see
if the centre was at all wobbling. However, due to limited space of my work bench, I deemed this
larger apparatus impractical.

Figure 3: Cross bifilar pendulum

In the end, I settled for my simpler apparatus on the grounds that maximising T and keeping my
apparatus simple and practical was more important than adding a new variable, m, or preventing
wobbling of the centre of mass.

6
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

3 Experiment 1
3.1 Method
1. I set up the apparatus as shown in Figure 1.
2. I set s to be 50cm.
3. I then adjusted the length of L by sliding the blue tack up and down the string, ensuring the lengths
were 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50cm by using a ruler and set square. I measured the distance
from the bottom of the top ruler to the top of the bottom ruler.
4. I twisted the ruler from the centre until the left side was in contact with the retort stand.
5. I checked that the ruler was still horizontal by eye (viewing the apparatus at the level of the ruler).
6. I then released the ruler without pushing, began the timer and counted 15 oscillations.
7. I stopped the timer after 15 oscillations. I used the maximum amplitude as the fixed point at which
I would stop the timer as the ruler is moving slowest at that point and this would allow me to
identify it more easily. I felt the inaccuracy caused by the ruler remaining in that region for more
time was less important than the benefit. Furthermore, it would have been difficult to set up an
accurate fiducial marker.
8. I measured the time taken for 15 oscillations three times for each value of L.

3.2 Results

When I released the ruler, it oscillated back and forth although there was a wobbling motion causing
the centre of the ruler to swing as well. Over time, as energy was lost to friction, the angle of oscillation
decreased and because of this the ruler moved downwards.

7
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

3.3 Results Analysis

As the value of L increased the value of T increased in what appeared to be fairly linear relationship
(R2 = 0.9966). However, this relationship was clearly not directly proportional and it makes sense that
if L were 0 so would T. √
The relationship between T and L is closer to linear (shown by the R-squared values) than that between
T and L and the line also crosses the y-axis close enough to y=0 within√ the limits of experimental
inaccuracy to be directly proportional. Thus we can conclude that T α L.

3.4 Error and Uncertainty

My error was very standard. This is shown by the fact that both my standard deviation and error of the
mean were very small and because of this my error bars were not even visible on the graph.
These were my sources of error:
• Friction from the knot - there existed considerable friction at the interface between the string and
the ruler. Despite my attempts to minimise this by reducing the surface area of contact, this
nevertheless will have caused some error.
• Ruler wobbled during oscillation - the radial asymmetry of the blue tack, my inability to twist
the ruler without moving its centre of mass, and most importantly the acentrality of the ruler’s
pre-drilled holes all caused the ruler to wobble in a varied nature. Thus, a non-standard error was
introduced.

• At extreme values of L further error was introduced - As L became smaller, the ruler centre’s vertical
acceleration, assumed to be 0, increased and thus this variable was inconstant. Contrastingly, as L
became larger, the ruler’s aforementioned wobbling was accentuated. This sometimes caused the
ruler to hit the retort stand; I ignored trials where this occured.
In order to reduce error in future experiments, I would make various adjustments to minimise the con-
tribution of these sources of error.

8
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

4 Experiment 2
4.1 Method
• I set up the apparatus as shown in Figure 1. However, making some changes to the way I attached
the strings. We glued the ends of the strings so that we could more easily thread them through the
holes.
• I set L to be 25cm.
• I then adjusted the length of s by reattaching the string at various points on the ruler, setting the
lengths at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80cm using the ruler.

• I twisted the ruler from the centre until the left side was in contact with the retort stand.
• I checked that the ruler was still horizontal by eye (viewing the apparatus at the level of the ruler).
• I then released the ruler without pushing, began the timer and counted 15 oscillations.

• I stopped the timer after 15 oscillations, using the maximum amplitude as our fixed point for the
aforementioned reasons.
• I measured the time taken for 15 oscillations three times for each value of s.

4.2 Results

9
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

When I released the ruler, it oscillated back and forth although there was a wobbling motion causing
the centre of the ruler to swing as well. Over time, as energy was lost to friction, the angle of oscillation
decreased and because of this the ruler moved downwards. The additional swinging motion of the ruler
was noticeable and extreme at lower values of s.

4.3 Results Analysis

As the value of s increased the value of T decreased in a manner which seemed to be inversely proportional.
When I plotted 1/T against s the relationship was, within the limits of our accuracy, directly proportional
(having an R-squared value of 0.9975. Thus I can conclude that 1/T α s.

4.4 Error and Uncertainty

My second experiment was less accurate than my first and I had larger values for the standard deviation
and error of the mean, resulting in error bars which are visible on the graph.

• Errors from friction were still present, however with a fixed L, I was able to cut off more of the
hanging string and reduce air resistance thus.
• The errors from the wobbling were greatly increased in the experiment at the very low values of
s and this caused visible interference between these two wave patterns with the result that it was
possible to see discontinuous movement between the global turning points. However, impacts with
the retort stand were less common.
• As values of s became very long the vertical acceleration did increase again but this was less
pronounced than in the first experiment.
In order to reduce error in future experiments, I would make various adjustments to minimise the con-
tribution of these sources of error.

10
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

5 Final Analysis
5.1 Conclusions
√
• Tα L.

• T α 1/s.

5.2 Explanation of results

Figure 4: Dynamics and geometry of situation

If I twist the pendulum in the x-y (horizontal) plane, there can be no acceleration in the z direction.
Therefore, there is no resultant force acting in the z-axis. The tension in the strings are thus ( mg
2 )cosφ ≈
mg
2 (as a result of the fact that φ is a small angle in the vertical plane which signifies the amount of
twist). The corresponding twist in the horizontal plane is θ. From the diagram above, it is clear to see
that Lsinφ = 2s sinθ and that tanθ = 2d 2d
s , and if θ is small, θ ≈ s .
Upon release, the twisted pendulum will spin back eventually to its equilibrium position. The restora-
tive torque for this comes from the horizontal component of the strings’ tension, ( mg 2 )sinφ with moment
arm 2s .
Thus, the overall torque acting on the ruler is:
mg s mgs
τ = 2() sinφ = sinφ
2 2 2
The factor of two comes from the torque on both ends of the ruler combining in the same direction.
Newton’s second law of angular motion is:

d2 θ
τ = Iα = I( )
dt2
where I is the moment of inertia and α is angular acceleration. Before comparing our two equations, we
must convert all φ into θ. Using trigonometry of right-angled triangles, we observe that

d = L0 sin φ ≈ L sin φ

where L’ is the twisted length of the string and since φ is small, L ≈ L0 .

From another triangle, we obtain
s s s
d = tan θ ≈ sin θ ≈ θ
2 2 2

11
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

By comparing our 2 equations for d, we get

s
sin φ ≈ ( θ)
2L
Combining this last equation with our first two equations yields

d2 θ mgs2
+ ( )θ = 0
dt2 4IL
[1]
Rearranging this for t gives the time period of a bifilar pendulum :
s
4π LI
T =
s mg

5.3 Practical use of bifilar pendulum

In practical uses of the bifilar pendulum, I think it would be best to maximise T in order to minimise
error and to facilitate accurate observation of maxima and minima in the pendulum’s oscillation.
Thus, I would have a set up with bifilar pendulums with large values of L and relatively small values of
s (3 or 4 times smaller).
This would make any bifilar pendulum apparatus (such as earthquake detectors) more sensitive. Thus,
this research could potentially help prevent earthquake-related fatalities in the future. This reinforces the
broader purpose and the importance of the bifilar pendulum and why this research could have a much
wider context than simply the classroom.
I would also attempt to set up a series of the pendulums in a grid so that the direction whence the
earthquake originated could be detected.

5.4 Problems faced and solutions

• Document preparation difficulties - I found it challenging to write up equations, add neat figures
and clearly section my report in Microsoft Word. Therefore, to overcome this problem, I learnt how
to prepare documents in LaTeX in order to produce a clean and professional final document.

• Rapid adjustment of L - Within a few minutes of my first experiment, I realised that adjusting the
length of L was going to be a very tedious process if I had to tie a knot in the string at the right
length every time in order to get an accurate value of L. Therefore, I decided to use a wad of blue
tack underneath the ruler and attached to the string in order to keep the ruler in place and to keep
L constant. The position of this blue tack could be easily changed, and was certainly more precise
than tying a knot.

• At extreme values of L further error was introduced - As L became larger, the ruler’s aforementioned
wobbling was accentuated. This sometimes caused the ruler to hit the retort stand; I ignored trials
where this occurred.
• Frayed ends of the string - During the course of the project, the ends of my string began to fray.
To solve this problem, I used some liquid glue and applied it to the ends of the string, forming a
sharp end which could be easily threaded through the holes in the ruler.
• Movement of ruler in clamps - I noticed during my early trials that the upper ruler in the clamps
was actually moving from its original position over time as the pendulum was oscillating. This was
a large problem, as this changed φ (see ’Explanation of results’), the angle of rotation before release
of the pendulum. The reason for this was that I had decided to uniformly twist the ruler from the

12
Rtvik Patel - Winchester College Year 11 - GOLD

centre until the left side was in contact with the retort stand. Then I would release the ruler at this
point. The problem therefore arose when, as the upper ruler moved, the distance to the retort stand
decreased (therefore decreasing how much the bottom ruler was twisted before release). Therefore,
I was forced to repeat all previous trials, and secure the upper ruler to the clamp using some tape.

5.5 Future investigations

• I would like to see how T changes with angle φ as there is actually some vertical downwards
acceleration as the amplitude decreases and investigating this effect would be interesting.
• I would also like to be able to alter our set-up to one that allowed a much longer L (4 or 5 times
s) so that the change in height as the amplitude of oscillation changed would be less. Thus, I
would eliminate the error caused by our assumption that the vertical acceleration was 0. I partially
achieved this in experiment two but would like to investigate this over a range of L as well.
• I would like to take steps to reduce the wobbling effect by drilling my own holes in the ruler and
possibly fixing the central position to the ground (although this would increase frictional forces).

• I would like to, from my results of s, L and T, calculate the moment of inertia of the rod and then
compare this to direct measurements of the moment of inertia.
• I would also like to investigate the relationship between a force applied to the lower bar at rest and
the angle φ caused.

5.6 Learning outcomes

• This project afforded me the opportunity to develop all my experimental skills. I was able to learn
how to take down results and obtain data in a methodical and organised manner.

• Moreover, I learnt various new analysis techniques, such as calculation of the STDEV and the SEM.
• I developed my theoretical physics skills through the challenging derivation of the formula for T.
• I found it difficult to show my research in a uniform and precise way using a program such as
Microsoft Word. Therefore, I learnt how to prepare documents in LaTeX from scratch, overcoming
this problem. I found this process very rewarding, and enjoyed having to solve various editing
conundrums with a somewhat scientific trial-and-error method. I couldn’t even imagine trying to
write up my derivation of T without LaTeX, and look forward to utilising it in future projects.

5.7 References
1. school physics.co.uk. (2013). Bifilar suspension. [online] Available at: http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk/
age16-19/Mechanics/Simple [Accessed 24 Jul. 2019].
2. studylib.net. (2019). The Bifilar Pendulum - durham physics laboratory guide. [online] Available
at: https://studylib.net/doc/8239798/the-bifilar-pendulum—durham-physics-laboratory-guide [Ac-
cessed 28 Jul. 2019].

3. Johnwellphy1.blogspot.com. (2019). experiment 08: BIFILAR SUSPENSION. [online] Available

at: http://johnwellphy1.blogspot.com/2016/06/experiment-08.html [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019].
4. Habeck, J. and Seiler, P. (n.d.). Moment of Inertia Estimation Using a Bifilar Pendulum. [online]
https://conservancy.umn.edu. Available at: https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299
/182514/HabeckUROP%20Final%20Report.pdf?sequence=3 [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019]

13