What are period, amplitude, and frequency?

What are period, amplitude, and frequency?

Period is the time it takes for a resonant system to complete one cycle of its motion. For example, if a pendulum takes two seconds to swing over and back, then its period is two seconds. Amplitude is the maximum amount of motion a resonant system undergoes as it oscillates or vibrates (same thing). For example, if the pendulum swings one meter to the left of center and then one meter to the right of center, its amplitude of motion is one meter. Frequency is the number of cycles a resonant system completes in a certain amount of time. For example, if a pendulum swings over and back twice each second, then its frequency is two cycles-per-second or 2 hertz or 2 Hz.

What does the length of the string (in a pendulum) have to do with resonance?

What does the length of the string (in a pendulum) have to do with resonance?

When you lengthen the string or rod of a pendulum, you weaken the restoring force on the pendulum’s weight. That weight must then drift farther from its equilibrium position to experience strong restoring forces. The result is that the pendulum swings more slowly through its cycles (its period increases and its frequency decreases). But no matter what the string’s length, the pendulum will exhibit a resonance. The frequency at which this resonance occurs is all that changes.