Does pendulum mass affect the period?

No. For a simple pendulum, the period depends only on length and gravity, not on the bob's mass.

When does the small-angle approximation break down?

The formula T = 2π√(L/g) is accurate within 1% for angles up to about 23 degrees.

Pendulum Calculator — Period & Frequency Tool

Last updated: March 2, 2026 by Maria Gonzalez

Simple Pendulum Calculator

Formula

T = 2 π \sqrt (L / g), w h er e L i s p e n d u l u m l e n g t han d g i s g r a v i t a t i o na l a cce l er a t i o n .

Compute the period of a simple pendulum using the small-angle approximation T = 2pi*sqrt(L/g). Works for any gravitational environment including the Moon or Mars.

Common use cases:

Clock design
Physics lab experiments
Gravity measurement

Frequently Asked Questions

Maria Gonzalez

Registered Dietitian, RD, MPH

Maria is a Registered Dietitian with a Master's in Public Health. She focuses on evidence-based nutrition assessment tools including BMI, calorie calculations, and body composition analysis.

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