Indonesian Physical Review
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2025)

DESIGN OF AN AUTOMATIC PENDULUM VELOCITY MEASURING DEVICE USING LIGHT SENSORS

Rima Fitria Adiati (IPB University)
Astridea Salwa Haniyah (Bachelor of Physics Study Program, Department of Physics, IPB University)
Agus Kartono (Department of Physics, IPB University)
Heriyanto Syafutra (Department of Physics, IPB University)



Article Info

Publish Date
09 Dec 2024

Abstract

The instantaneous velocity of an object is the rate of change of its position over an infinitesimally small-time interval, making direct measurement with tools like stopwatches impractical. Using two LDR sensors paired with an Arduino, it is possible to measure such small-time intervals effectively. Understanding the maximum velocity of a mathematical pendulum is critical for distinguishing between harmonic and non-harmonic oscillations. To validate the accuracy of the sensor-Arduino system, several experiments were conducted, including comparisons between Arduino measurements and those obtained from a movie tracker, as well as variations in sensor separation distances, initial oscillation angles, and pendulum rope lengths. Results showed a high level of agreement between Arduino and movie tracker measurements for pendulum crossing times. Additionally, the sensor-Arduino system successfully differentiated the effects of varying each parameter while holding others constant. The system demonstrated an accuracy of 97.86% for velocity measurements at a release angle of 5°, with an average recorded velocity of 23.350 m/s. These findings confirm the sensor-Arduino system's capability to reliably measure the velocity of a mathematical pendulum.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ipr

Publisher

Subject

Education Physics

Description

Indonesian Physical Review is a peer review journal which is managed and published by Physics Departement, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Mataram. This journal is published periodically three times a year, in January, May and September. IPR is Open Accsess for all readers ...