The Foucault pendulum (English pronunciation: /fuːˈkoʊ/ foo-koh; French pronunciation: [fuˈko]), or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the first simple proof of the rotation in an easy-to-see experiment. Today, Foucault pendulums are popular displays in science museums and universities.
Move them in relation to each other and watch the "swing" of the pendulum change and knock down the little pegs that appear around the edge of the circle.
Move them in relation to each other and watch the "swing" of the pendulum change and knock down the little pegs that appear around the edge of the circle.
It's an epic fail, IMO, especially in comparison to the Roswell one where you had to help the little alien find his spaceship.
IIRC, a pendulum at the North Pole swings in a fixed arc, as the Earth rotates beneath it, whereas one at the Equator does something different.
Hence controls to vary the time of day and the latitude.
*** plays ***
Starting at 30 degrees latitude, the closer to the Equator, the fewer pegs are knocked over, at the Equator only 2 are knocked over ... at 30 degrees latitude all are knocked over once per day , at the poles, the pegs would be knocked over twice per day were someone to stand them up.
EDIT: I think 30 degrees is the latitude at which it rotates through half a circle
It's just a swinging pendulum isn't it? I know it changes direction when you move the control things but I'm not gonna pretend to understand the Science. If that means I'm thick then so be it.
It's just a swinging pendulum isn't it? I know it changes direction when you move the control things but I'm not gonna pretend to understand the Science. If that means I'm thick then so be it.
I wrote what happens two posts above yours.
Don't dismiss yourself as thick so readily! If it's not your cup of tea fair enough, but if you're curious, patient and methodical, you can see the pattern in what happens.
It's just a swinging pendulum isn't it? I know it changes direction when you move the control things but I'm not gonna pretend to understand the Science. If that means I'm thick then so be it.
Not thick I cannot get my head around such things easily at all.
Someone dismissing it as an 'epic fail' is an epic fail though.
It's just a swinging pendulum isn't it? I know it changes direction when you move the control things but I'm not gonna pretend to understand the Science. If that means I'm thick then so be it.
It is though. As others have said, it's just a pendulum swinging around. Big deal. It teaches you absolutely nothing about the principles involved.
What is it you want to learn? Other resources are available, you know - and you can even use google to find them!
It's just a celebration of the now rather elderly Mr Foucault's birthday, that shows you how a real life pendulum set swinging at a particular latitude would behave over time. If you manage to set it exactly at the equator, you will see that no pegs are knocked down as time passes, because the plane of oscillation remains fixed.
Comments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault_pendulum
Yes, but what do the controls do?
I did, and the pendulum just spun around really quickly
It's an epic fail, IMO, especially in comparison to the Roswell one where you had to help the little alien find his spaceship.
Epic fail because you don't understand basic physics?
LOL
Sorry, that's hilarious.
I know Foucault about it too:(
(Mine is the black jacket with the hood on the end peg)
IIRC, a pendulum at the North Pole swings in a fixed arc, as the Earth rotates beneath it, whereas one at the Equator does something different.
Hence controls to vary the time of day and the latitude.
*** plays ***
Starting at 30 degrees latitude, the closer to the Equator, the fewer pegs are knocked over, at the Equator only 2 are knocked over ... at 30 degrees latitude all are knocked over once per day , at the poles, the pegs would be knocked over twice per day were someone to stand them up.
EDIT: I think 30 degrees is the latitude at which it rotates through half a circle
Indeed, I can never get my head around how it behaves, so the simulation is most instructive.
I wrote what happens two posts above yours.
Don't dismiss yourself as thick so readily! If it's not your cup of tea fair enough, but if you're curious, patient and methodical, you can see the pattern in what happens.
Not thick I cannot get my head around such things easily at all.
Someone dismissing it as an 'epic fail' is an epic fail though.
You're not thick, I keep telling you!
That is all.
It is though. As others have said, it's just a pendulum swinging around. Big deal. It teaches you absolutely nothing about the principles involved.
:D:D
It's only a doodle to mark Léon Foucault's birthday. If you want to find out about the principles involved then 'google it' as they say.
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=leon+foucault+pendulum+experiment
It's just a celebration of the now rather elderly Mr Foucault's birthday, that shows you how a real life pendulum set swinging at a particular latitude would behave over time. If you manage to set it exactly at the equator, you will see that no pegs are knocked down as time passes, because the plane of oscillation remains fixed.
It's good. And it's real (unlike Roswell aliens).
*clap*
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink".