ERIC Number: EJ925116
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Jul
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0926-7220
EISSN: N/A
The Pendulum in the 21st Century-Relic or Trendsetter
Peters, Randall D.
Science & Education, v13 n4-5 p279-295 Jul 2004
When identifying instruments that have had great influence on the history of physics, none comes to mind more quickly than the pendulum. Though first treated scientifically by Galileo in the 16th century, and in some respects nearly "dead" by the middle of the 20th century; the pendulum experienced "rebirth" by becoming an archetype of chaos. With the resulting acclaim for its surprising behavior at large amplitudes, one might expect that there would already be widespread interest in another of its significant nonlinearities. Such is not the case, however, and the complex motions of small amplitude physical pendula are barely known. The present paper shows that a simply-constructed metallic rod pendulum is capable of demonstrating rich physics in a largely unstudied area.
Descriptors: Mechanics (Physics), Science Instruction, History, Motion, Scientific Principles, Scientific Concepts, Science Activities, Laboratory Equipment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A