We investigate the looping pendulum phenomenon proposed by the International Young Physicists’ tournament (IYPT) in 2019 with experiments and theoretical model based on Newtonian mechanics. When using high-speed video to measure the motion of objects, the acceleration measurement error may worsen significantly at a high frame rate due to position uncertainty. This issue is emphasized and can be resolved by additionally using a wireless acceleration sensor. The falling acceleration curves of heavy-load given by our theoretical model are in good agreement with the experimental measurement data. The mass ratio-release angle parameter space for a successful demonstration is given by numerical simulation, showing that a large value of heavy-light mass ratio should be more likely to make a successful demonstration experiment. The experiments reported here are appropriate for junior undergraduates to carry out experimental research.
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