[Physics] Time period of simple pendulum with varying mass

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How do you find time period as a function of time for a simple pendulum that is in the form of a hollow sphere that is filled with mercury and there is a hole in the bottom through which the mercury is constantly falling at a fixed rate? I tried creating a function for the time period to check how it varies with the mass of mercury, but I had too many variables.

EDIT: This question was a concept based multiple choice question in my homework book. The option were time period becomes erratic, time period increases, time period decreases, time period first increases then decreases.

Best Answer

The center of mass of the system consisting of the bob and the mercury inside it shifts downward, effectively increasing the length. However, the final position of the center of mass after all the fluid has drained out is at the center of the bob, so the center of mass shifts up again after some time. Thus, the time period first increases due to the effective increase in length, then decreases since the center of mass shifts back to the center of the bob.

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