A pendulum in the service shaft of a building is used by a physics class for experiments. The shaft is dark, and the top of the pendulum cannot be seen. The bob of the pendulum is visible, and it is observed to complete 13 oscillations in 114 seconds. Assume the motion is simple harmonic. What is the period of the pendulum?

• A. 10.15 seconds
• B. 9.23 seconds
• C. 7.85 seconds
• D. 8.77 seconds

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the period of a pendulum is the time it takes to complete one full oscillation. In this problem, we need to find the period given the total time for multiple oscillations.
2. Identify the given values: the pendulum completes 13 oscillations in 114 seconds.
3. Use the formula for the period \( T \) of the pendulum: \( T = \frac{\text{Total time for oscillations}}{\text{Number of oscillations}} \).
4. Substitute the given values into the formula: \( T = \frac{114 \text{ seconds}}{13} \).
5. Perform the division to find the period \( T \) of the pendulum, which will give you the time for one complete oscillation.