Determining the angular velocity of a clock’s second hand and the average angular velocity of a metronome using a smartphone

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to measure the angular velocity of a clock’s second hand and the average angular velocity of a metronome using a smartphone. To determine the angular velocities, the ticking of clock’s second hand and the metronome beats were recorded. The angle between the extreme left and right positions of the metronome’s hand was also measured. Some free smartphone applications for these measurements, e.g. ‘Grandfather Clock,’ ‘Metronome,’ ‘Protractor,’ and ‘Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite’ were used during the study. The results revealed that the smartphone can be a reliable tool in determining the angular velocities of rotating or oscillating objects that emit sound.