Science
Pendulums.
Definition
A pendulum is a weight (bob) suspended from a pivot that swings back and forth under the influence of gravity. For small angles, it exhibits simple harmonic motion with a period that depends only on the length of the string and the acceleration due to gravity, not the mass or amplitude.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 A grandfather clock using a pendulum to keep time
- 2 Foucault's pendulum demonstrating Earth's rotation
- 3 A wrecking ball swinging as a large-scale pendulum
Key Fact
T = 2π√(L/g), where L is length and g is gravitational acceleration.