Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: How to Speed Up a Slow Grandfather: The Pendulum
In this lesson plan students are "given one hour to solve a problem that a has caused a huge drop in sales" for a clock company. All clocks are five minutes slow. Because of this, they must find a way to put the clock back on time...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Coupled Resonant Pendulums 2
Understand the concept of resonance to allow you to cause two pendulums to swing in an identical cycle. Pendulum are constructed from simple materials like string, pencils, paper clips, and pennies.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: The Simple Pendulum
By the end of this section, you will be able determine the period of oscillation of a hanging pendulum.
Pennsylvania State University
Acoustics and Vibration Animations: Demonstrations: The Simple Pendulum
A series of graphics, downloadable animations and text describe and explain the motion of a pendulum. Some sections require an understanding of calculus.
PBS
Pbs Kids: Zoom Science: Introduction to Pendulums
What is a pendulum? What makes it swing? Who was Leon Foucault? Discover the answers to these and related questions.
Smithsonian Institution
Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Foucault Pendulum
Provides a detailed description of the Foucault Pendulum and how it works. It was originally built to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Pendulum Motion
This tutorial investigates pendulum motion and how a variety of quantities change over the course of time. Such quantities will include forces, position, velocity and energy - both kinetic and potential energy. Take the interactive...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Bill Nye Demonstration: Newton's Pendulum
Learn about Newton's Pendulum will Bill Nye as you watch this demonstration of some of the most fundamental laws of physics and mechanics. [0:52]
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: Inductive Pendulum
Get the swing of electromagnetic induction with this simple tutorial. (Java tutorial)
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Magnetic Pendulums
See how electricity and magnetism interact with this activity. Activity has students creating a current by swinging a copper coil through a magnetic field. The copper coil will start a second coil swinging as well.
Concord Consortium
The Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: A Pendulum
Change the mass of a suspended object to see how its movement and forces are affected by gravity.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Mechanics of Standing Balance
This is a 5-question quiz to help prepare for the MCAT. It uses the analogy between a standing patient and an inverted pendulum and the mechanics of standing balance.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Swing in Time
Students examine the motion of pendulums and come to understand that the longer the string of the pendulum, the fewer the number of swings in a given time interval. They see that changing the weight on the pendulum does not have an...
Science Museum, London
Science Museum: Online Stuff: Huygens' Clocks
Find out about Christiaan Huygens who built the world's first pendulum clock in 1656. The pendulum clock became the most accurate clock in the world for nearly 300 years.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Swinging With Style
Students experientially learn about the characteristics of a simple physics phenomenon - the pendulum - by riding on playground swings. They use pendulum terms and a timer to experiment with swing variables. They extend their knowledge...
University of Maryland
Thinking Problems in Oscillations and Waves: Pendulum
A series of thought-intensive, multichoice questions concerning pendulums and provided for by the University of Maryland. A downloadable software program on pendulums is also included.
TOPS Learning Systems
Tops Learning Systems: Top Science: Paper Clip Pendulums [Pdf]
Investigate how the length of a pendulum's chain or string affects the frequency of its swings.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Driven Pendulum With Phase Space
Illustrate the physics of a pendulum with this simulated exercise which examines the variation of a moving pendulum, its phase space, and its Poincare section.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Energy/momentum Ballistic Pendulum
Students must predict the pre-collision speed of a ball that has been captured by a ballistic pendulum.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Holt Physics Chapter 11: Vibrations and Waves Pendulum Lesson
This activity Pendulum from Holt Physics Chapter 11 Vibrations and Waves uses the calculator and the VIB program calculate the period of a pendulum on different planets.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Two Springs and a Pendulum Model
Swing virtual pendulums and compare the motion of one oscillating weight on a horizontal spring to a second weight on another spring. Then, compare how these motions differ from the motion of a simple pendulum.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Energy of Displaced Pendulum
Students must predict the speed a pendulum bob will have after it has reached the lowest point of its swing.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Double Inverted Pendulum Oscillating
Adjust frequency, amplitude, and perturbation in this simulation to graph the trajectory of a mass at the end of each pendulum.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Physical Pendulum Forces
This simulation of a pendulum will demonstrate how friction and force have to change to keep the mass in the same position on the pivoted rod.