What are applications of a pendulum, if any?

Question

The reason I asked this question is because I am working on an experiment with a pendulum. Helps are really appreciated.

Answer 1

"IMO"

Your opinion is worthless in science. Only empirical observation matters. The empirical observation is that pendulums keep good time even in the presence of air resistance.

Answer 2

The two major applications of pendulums are in telling time and the Foucault Pendulum.

Clocks

The most common application of the pendulum is to use its regular motion to control the motion of the hands of a clock. This is still seen in the older grandfather clocks. Every time the pendulum goes back and forth, it moves a gear one notch. Gears are then used to move the hands of the clock.

The length of the pendulum can be adjusted slightly, if the clock is running too fast or slow.

Foucault Pendulum

Another interesting application is called the Foucault Pendulum. This pendulum will demonstrate the Earth's rotation.

The Foucault Pendulum is a very large pendulum that is often several stories high. The reason it is so large is so that it will keep swinging over a longer period of time. Friction forces often damp a smaller pendulum and cause to finally stop after a relatively short time.

In 1848, Jean Foucault discovered that when a large pendulum swings over a long period of time, the pendulum appears to be changing directions during the day. What is really happening is that the pendulum is moving in the same direction, but the Earth has rotated under the pendulum.

Although there are now Foucault Pendulum's in many locations, the most famous Foucault Pendulum is at the Pantheon in Paris, France. The picture below shows the size of the pendulum and the scale at the bottom to indicate the positions at different times of the day.

To explain how the Foucault Pendulum works, consider putting a pendulum exactly at the North Pole or South Pole. While the Earth rotated on its axis, the pendulum would continue to swing in the same direction in space. It would appear as if the pendulum was slowly changing directions, but in reality it is the Earth that is revolving underneath the pendulum.

This same phenomenon will happen at locations other than the poles, except that the reason is not as obvious.

Answer 3

To measure time.