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.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Swinging Pendulum
This activity demonstrates how potential energy (PE) can be converted to kinetic energy (KE) and back again. Given a pendulum height, students calculate and predict how fast the pendulum will swing by understanding conservation of energy...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Swinging Pendulum
This activity shows students the engineering importance of understanding the laws of mechanical energy. More specifically, it demonstrates how potential energy can be converted to kinetic energy and back again. Given a pendulum height,...
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.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Pendulum Lab
This lab is designed to have students investigate the factors that affect the rate at which a pendulum oscillates. Students can change the length of the pendulum, the angle of release, and the heavenly body on which the pendulum is...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Determining G From Pendulum
Students must calculate the strength of the gravitational field based on the swinging motion of a pendulum.
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.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Work and Energy: Energy Transformation for a Pendulum
The motion of a pendulum is a classic example of mechanical energy conservation. See the mechanics at work here in this animation.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Tic, Toc: Pendulum Motion
In this activity, students' will use a motion detector to plot the position versus time graph for a swinging pendulum. They will determine the period of the motion and model the position data using a cosine function.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Nonlinear Pendulum Problems
In this activity, students explore the nonlinear model for a simple pendulum. They use the calculator to solve higher order differential equations.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Periodic Motion, the Pendulum
The Illinois Institute of Technology offers this lesson plan to teach high school students the concept of periodic motion and relate it to the movement of a pendulum.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Pendulum Periods Demonstration
This is a classroom demonstration version of Lab 14 from "Physics with Calculators"
Other
My Physics Lab: Chaotic Pendulum
Experiment with a damped driven pendulum to see what happens to the oscillation when you change the mass, gravity, or damping. Students can also change the starting position. Site includes equations to help students understand what is...
Other
My Physics Lab: Simple Pendulum
Experiment with a pendulum to see what happens to the oscillation when you change the mass, gravity, or damping. Students can also change the starting position. Site includes equations to help students understand what is happening in the...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Rock a Bye Pendulum
Activity uses scientific process to explore the effects of force on an object in motion.
Other
My Physics Lab: Double Pendulum
Experiment with a double pendulum to see what happens to the oscillation when you change the mass, gravity, or damping. Students can also change the starting position. The site includes equations to help students understand what is...
Walter Fendt
Walter Fendt: Simple Pendulum
This app demonstrates how elongation, velocity, tangential acceleration, force, and energy are affected when a pendulum oscillates.
Other
University of Winnipeg: The Simple Pendulum
The periodic motion of a pendulum is described with words and equations; little conceptual emphasis. Sample problems with solutions are provided.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe
Text of the short story "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)