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How does the Foucault pendulum work?

Updated: 9/14/2023
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Kaity123

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12y ago

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The Foucault Pendulum experiment proves that the Earth rotates beneath the pendulum, which proved that the Earth rotates. If one were to make a pendulum on the equator it would not work because it doesnt rotate at that point of the Earth.

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Q: How does the Foucault pendulum work?
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How do you build foucault pendulum?

Any pendulum on a string ... free to swing in any direction ... can demonstratethe behavior associated with Foucault's pendulum. The only trick is that it has tokeep going for several hours before the behavior is obvious. So the task ofbuilding a Foucault pendulum is actually the task of building a pendulum thatdoesn't run down and stop. There are a number of simple electric/magnetic waysto do that, including the one I installed in 1968, to run the Foucault Pendulumin the lobby of the Oklahoma Science and Arts Foundation, at its old location atthe Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.


What happens to the path of a pendulum over a day?

if the pendulum is free to swing in any direction (not constrained to a single plane, as is the pendulum in a pendulum clock), this is called a Foucault pendulum, and each swing will be slightly offset from the previous one due to the rotation of the Earth. If you were to attach a pen to the bottom of a Foucault pendulum, over the course of time it would make a tremendously complicated spirograph pattern.


What did Foucault's pendulum provide in the 19th century?

evidence that supports the conjecture that the Earth is rotating


Why the foucault pendulum demonstrated in 1851?

WHAT did Foucault's pendulum demonstrate in the year 1851 C.E. ? It confirmed for many and demonstrated the rotation of the earth on it's axis. The principal of the earth's rotation was proven by suspending a "pointed pendulum" with it's tip & terminus just barely in contact with a smooth level area of sand. The pattern changes overtime, this can only happen if the earth is rotating. This apparatus is elegant in it's simplicity and irrefutable proof of earth rotation.


What are the limitation of simple pendulum?

The popular formula for the period of a pendulum works only for small angular displacements. In deriving it, you need to assume that theta, the angular displacement from the vertical, measured in radians, is equal to sin(theta). If not, you need to make much more complicated calculations. There are also other assumptions to simplify the formula - eg string is weightless. The swing of the pendulum will precess with the rotation of the earth. This may not work if the pendulum hits its stand! See Foucault's Pendulum (see link). The motion of the pendulum will die out as a result of air resistance. Thermal expansion can change the length of the pendulum and so its period.

Related questions

When was Foucault's Pendulum created?

Foucault's Pendulum was created in 1988.


Foucault pendulum is a famous demonstration of Earth's?

A Foucault pendulum is a famous demonstration of Earth's:


What was Foucault's Pendulum?

Foucault's pendulum is a novel written by an Italian philosopher. It was published in 1988.


What keeps a foucault pendulum moving?

The rotation of the earth keeps a foucault pendulum moving


Is there a foucault pendulum in capital bldg in Lincoln Nebraska?

No, there is no foucault pendulum in the capital bldg in Lincoln Nebraska.


When was the foucault pendulum made?

February, 1851. More details are available from the wikipedia article about the Foucault pendulum.


What is the best device when placed on the Moon would provide evidence of Moon rotation?

For earthbound investigators, the Foucault pendulum provides a nice proof.


What type of pendulum used to demonstrate the earths rotation?

Foucault's Pendulum


What type of pendulum is used to demonstrate the earth's rotation?

Foucault's Pendulum


Who is the author of Foucault's Pendulum?

Umberto Eco


How does the Foucault pendulum prove the earth rotates?

* it holds hanging objects that pivots around fixed points


A Foucault pendulum is a famous demonstration of Earths?

rotation