MEL Chemistry | Pendulum waves @melchemistry7035 | Uploaded August 2019 | Updated October 2024, 21 hours ago.
The mesmerizing pendulum effect!
Equipment: 1m rod, clamps, thread, ornaments.
A pendulum wave is a physical effect based on a series of independent pendulums that are finely tuned relative to their oscillation periods (or frequencies). We secured 15 independently-swinging pendulums to a stable frame. Each pendulum has a different suspension length, and thus a different oscillation frequency. The longest pendulum makes 51 oscillations per minute, and each following shorter pendulum completes one more oscillation per minute than the previous. This causes the pendulums to "dance" in waves.
The oscillation period of a simple pendulum depends not on its mass, but rather on its suspension length. When we tilt the pendulum out of its position of equilibrium, it acquires potential energy. When released, it begins to move as gravity acts on it, completing an arc directly proportional in length to its suspension length. The oscillation period is the time it takes the pendulum to return to its initial position. A longer pendulum covers a greater distance and moves slightly more quickly, but its oscillation period is longer nonetheless. Short pendulums thus oscillate at a greater frequency than long pendulums. By adjusting the lengths of the pendulums, you can create beautiful moving patterns.
Safety precautions: none.
The mesmerizing pendulum effect!
Equipment: 1m rod, clamps, thread, ornaments.
A pendulum wave is a physical effect based on a series of independent pendulums that are finely tuned relative to their oscillation periods (or frequencies). We secured 15 independently-swinging pendulums to a stable frame. Each pendulum has a different suspension length, and thus a different oscillation frequency. The longest pendulum makes 51 oscillations per minute, and each following shorter pendulum completes one more oscillation per minute than the previous. This causes the pendulums to "dance" in waves.
The oscillation period of a simple pendulum depends not on its mass, but rather on its suspension length. When we tilt the pendulum out of its position of equilibrium, it acquires potential energy. When released, it begins to move as gravity acts on it, completing an arc directly proportional in length to its suspension length. The oscillation period is the time it takes the pendulum to return to its initial position. A longer pendulum covers a greater distance and moves slightly more quickly, but its oscillation period is longer nonetheless. Short pendulums thus oscillate at a greater frequency than long pendulums. By adjusting the lengths of the pendulums, you can create beautiful moving patterns.
Safety precautions: none.
