Which pendulum will swing faster?

A pendulum's swing speed is influenced primarily by the length of its string. In simple terms, a shorter string will allow the pendulum to swing back and forth more quickly than a longer string. This is due to the physics of pendulum motion, which is governed by the principles of gravity and inertia.

When a pendulum swings, the time it takes to complete one full oscillation (back and forth motion) is referred to as the period. The formula for the period of a simple pendulum is given by the equation:

[ T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{L}{g}} ]

where ( T ) is the period, ( L ) is the length of the pendulum string, and ( g ) is the acceleration due to gravity. According to this formula, the period is directly proportional to the square root of the string length. This means that as the string length increases, the time taken for each swing also increases, resulting in a slower swing.

Therefore, the pendulum with the shorter string will swing faster, completing its oscillations in less time than the one with the longer string. The conclusion aligns with the established principles of pendulum motion, as shorter lengths yield quicker swings.