To determine the period of the swinging light fixture, we can treat it as a simple pendulum. The period $T$ of a simple pendulum, where the amplitude of the swing is small, is given by:

$T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{L}{g}}$

where:

• $L$ is the length of the pendulum (1.5 m in this case),
• $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately $9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2$).

Let's calculate the period $T$:

$T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{1.5}{9.81}}$

1. First, calculate the inside of the square root: $\frac{1.5}{9.81} \approx 0.1529$

2. Now, take the square root: $\sqrt{0.1529} \approx 0.391$

3. Multiply by $2\pi$: $T \approx 2\pi \times 0.391 \approx 2.46 \, \text{seconds}$

Answer:

The period of the swinging light fixture is approximately 2.46 seconds.

Would you like a deeper explanation or more details on any step?

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Here are five related questions that extend this topic:

1. How would the period change if the light cord were twice as long?
2. What would happen to the period if the light fixture were heavier?
3. How does the period change with an increase in gravity, such as on a different planet?
4. What assumptions are made in treating the light fixture as a simple pendulum?
5. How does the amplitude of swing affect the period in real-world applications?

Tip: For pendulum calculations, the mass does not affect the period—only the length of the cord and gravity do!