Name: Measurements of Length
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 6 min 37 s
Description: In this video, we are going to learn the importance of length measurement. We will also learn how to select the most appropriate transport mode from one plac...

Question

Describe how your pulse changes if you take some gentle exercise, for example, by walking briskly, or by walking up and down stairs. Comment on whether you agree with Galileo that a pendulum is a better time-measuring instrument than your pulse.

Accepted Answer

When we are taking some exercise, our heart beats faster. This is because while we are exercising our muscles need extra oxygen. Due to this our heart starts pumping faster. Hence, more blood gets out to our body which results in a quicker pulse. At the same time, our lungs are also taking in more air that results in harder breathing. Galileo used the regular pulse of his heart as a means of measuring intervals of time until he noticed that a swinging pendulum was more reliable. I am agreeing with the statement that a pendulum is a better time-measuring instrument than our heart pulse. This is because our heart pulse is not constant, and it may vary depending upon the physical activity that we are taking. A simple pendulum consists of a small metal ball (called bob) suspended by a long thread from rigid support, such that the bob is free to swing back and forth. The motion of the pendulum was first studied by Galileo. He discovered the important principle of pendulum according to which a pendulum completes every swing (or every oscillation) at exactly the same time, provided its length is kept constant. In other words, the time-period of oscillation of a given pendulum is constant. Hence, a pendulum is reliable than our heart pulse for measuring time.

David Sang and Darrell Hamilton Solutions for Chapter: Making Measurements, Exercise 3: Exercise 1.3

David Sang Physics Solutions for Exercise - David Sang and Darrell Hamilton Solutions for Chapter: Making Measurements, Exercise 3: Exercise 1.3

Questions from David Sang and Darrell Hamilton Solutions for Chapter: Making Measurements, Exercise 3: Exercise 1.3 with Hints & Solutions

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