Computerized pendulum experiment for the introductory physics laboratory

A Commodore 64 micro computer is used to control a simple pendulum experiment. The computer is interfaced to an interruptable light beam. It measures the pendulum parameters with good accuracy. The experiment is organized in three parts: (i) Tutorial: The student works through a tutorial based on an animated pendulum in preparation for the real experiment. (ii) Experiment (a): The student measures the pendulum parameters using conventional techniques. The computer constantly supervises the experiment and points out mistakes to the student. (iii) Experiment (b): The student uses the computer as an electronic measuring device to examine the relationship between period and amplitude.