Curated OER
Riding on a Pendulum
A comprehensive resource gets fourth grade physical scientists making observations about the period of a pendulum and then applying knowledge to a playground swing. Through seven different stations, they will record observations and...
LABScI
Harmonic Motion: Pendulum Lab
Several times throughout history, groups of soldiers marching in rhythm across a suspension bridge have caused it to collapse. Scholars experiment with pendulums, resonance, and force to determine why this would happen. First, pupils...
PHET
Pendulum Lab
How would a pendulum work on the moon or Jupiter? To answer that question scholars control up to two pendulums including their location, length, mass, and amplitude. Added controls include changing the friction and strength of gravity....
Concord Consortium
Double Pendulum
What's better than a pendulum for studying motion and periods? A double pendulum! Young physical scientists use an interactive to explore pendulum motion—times two. The resource boasts a host of parameters to change and a running graph...
Clarkson University
Understanding Energy (With a Pendulum)
Have you ever wanted to play with a giant pendulum? An experiment allows small groups to do just that. They gather data and make observations as they complete the included worksheet. The lesson plan lays out each instruction including...
Concord Consortium
Energy of a Pendulum
Just a swingin'! Introduce physical science scholars to the energy forms associated with a pendulum using a simple interactive. Learners adjust the height from which the pendulum starts, then observe changes in potential, kinetic, and...
Concord Consortium
Pendulum
Add some zing to your swing! Explore pendulum motion through an engaging interactive. Physical science scholars specify the pendulum's mass, rod length, and starting angle before they observe the resulting angle graph.
Concord Consortium
Pendulum and Spring
Up, down, back, and forth. When you make a pendulum out of a spring, there's a lot to observe. Aspiring masters of motion examine the combined kinetic energies of spring and pendulum motion using a detailed interactive. Learners observe...
Teach Engineering
Swinging Pendulum
Get into the swing of things. Pupils use a pendulum to demonstrate the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy and back. After measuring the speed of a pendulum and compare it to the calculated theoretical speed, they determine...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Pendulum Time
Take your time with this lesson. Junior engineers read about different types of clocks and then work together to build a pendulum time-keeper. There are no hints as to how they might go about accomplishing this complex task, so you may...
Curated OER
Swinging Pendulum
Students engage in an activity which 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...
Exploratorium
Magnetic Pendulums
Passing a copper wire coil through a magnetic field influences another coil to also sway. It is with this demonstration that you can teach your physical science fans about electromagnetism. Note that the assembly requires about an hour,...
Curated OER
Pendulums
First-time physicists experiment with pendulums in this physics activity. They vary the weight of the bob, record how long each takes to complete ten period swings, and then calculate the time for one period. They repeat the procedure,...
Curated OER
Pendulums
Students explore the period of a pendulum. In this pendulum lesson plan, students make a pendulum using a fishing weight, hook, string and paper clip and measure the pendulum's period. Students measure the number of seconds for 10 cycles...
Curated OER
Foucault Pendulum Worksheet
Many museums and observatories have a Foucault pendulum set up to demonstrate Earth's rotation upon an axis. This instructional activity would be especially valuable if you happen upon one of these displays during a field trip. You could...
Curated OER
Pendulum Lab in 9th Grade Physical Science
Ninth graders conduct experiments to determine what affects the rate of a pendulum's swing. Working in small groups, they identify an independent variable to study and create an experiment to test their hypothesis. When tests are...
Curated OER
Pendulum Motion
Students explore questions which cannot be handled with simple pendulums, and examine both the usefulness and the limitations of approximations in science. A Java applet created from a Stella model is included.
Curated OER
Pendulums on the Moon
Young scholars conduct experiments to determine if length, mass, or starting angle has any effect on the rate of a pendulum's swing. They also conduct an experiment online to determine if gravitational force plays a role in the swing. ...
Curated OER
Measures of Circular Motion
Physicists become Olympians in a competition using centripetal force. They ride a bicycle to comprehend relationships between linear and rotational motion. If you have an old-fashioned record player, it can be used to help pupils...
Curated OER
Exploring Pendulums
In this exploring pendulums activity, students experiment with pendulums they make in the lab. They vary the length of the strings and the weights to observe the changes in the pendulum's amplitude and frequency. They answer 3 analysis...
Curated OER
Coupled Resonant Pendulums
Students discover every pendulum has a natural vibration cycle that depends on its length. In this physical science lesson, students participate in an experiment that shows the natural vibration frequency of two pendulums is the same if...
Curated OER
Rock-A-Bye Pendulum
Third graders analyze the effects of force on an object in motion and its relationship to a change in speed. This lesson uses a pendulum to demonstrate the principle.
Curated OER
Periodic Motion - The Pendulum
Students study the concept of periodic motion and relate it to the movement of a pendulum. They discover that the period of a pendulum is dependent on the length of the pendulum and independent of the bob and the amplitude.
Curated OER
Periodic Motion - The Pendulum
Students experiment to determine the period of a pendulum. In this periodic motion lesson, students use different pendulums to determine their periods. They use various amplitudes to determine its effects on the period.