Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Pendulums - Episode 20

Dr. Carlson faces down fear and speeding bowling balls in an effort to demonstrate his faith in Physics and Pendulums.

Science Theater Episode 20: Pendulums

2 comments:

sillyshoelover said...

Let me start off by saying that I know what a pendulum is. Basically, it's a heavy mass attached to a string. It has its certain time to go back and forth and that is called a period. The shorter the pendulum, the faster it will be. So the video is demonstrating how whatever speed it started off with then that is the speed that it will always be in. It will not accelerate in any way. Perfectly demonstrated that when he placed it near his nose. He did get scared and that was funny but he was just proving that it will not hit him in any dangerous way.

Dr. Matt J. Carlson said...

Technically the pendulum is accelerating all the time (except for an instant at the very bottom of the swing), but yes, the ends of the swing will never increase in distance.

I was perfectly safe, but it was hard to convince my face of that idea.