Pendula Concept

Demonstrations in Pendula

Yellow chalk-line bob swinging on a short string from a horizontal rod on a clamp stand, with motion blur showing a wide arc in front of a chalkboard
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Simple Pendulum

A simple pendulum with easily adjustable string length demonstrates how period depends on length:. The bright yellow bob is visible even in the largest lecture halls.
Ring stand with horizontal rod supporting multiple pendulums of different lengths and bob types (cork cylinder, golf ball, plumb bob, green ball) on white and red strings

Pendulum Experiments

A do-it-yourself pendulum kit for investigating period dependence on length , independence from mass, and the small-angle approximation. Assemble pendulums to match clicker questions or run in-class experiments.
Two pendulums hanging from a horizontal rod between two tall bench clamp stands, with black nylon string looped over ring clamp hooks and brass mass hangers at the bottom; a blue PASCO mass set sits on the bench

Twin Pendulums

Demonstrates that the period of a simple pendulum is independent of mass. Two pendulums of equal length but different masses remain synchronized over many swings, directly testing and challenging the …
A thin leaf spring clamped to the edge of a lecture bench with a C-clamp, extending vertically with a brass ring mass near the top, casting a shadow on the chalkboard behind
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Leaf Springs

Students observe how length and added mass affect the oscillation period of cantilever leaf springs. Varying the clamp point or adding ring masses changes the period, illustrating the dependence of …
Torsional oscillator: a vertical stand with a torsion wire connecting two horizontal arms at different heights, each with a cone or ball mass on one end and a clamp on the other

Torsional Oscillator

A torsional wire oscillator shows how moment of inertia affects oscillation period . Removing or adding ball bearings changes and visibly changes the period. When both oscillators on the wire …