Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Try Engineering: Pendulum Time

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Working in teams, students build their own pendulum clock using everyday materials. They conduct research, design, build, test it, and share observations with the class, while learning how pendulums operate and have been used to measure...
Interactive
Concord Consortium

Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Pendulum

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive tool where students can explore how a pendulum works, and how length, mass, angle, and friction affect its motion or period. As the pendulum moves, its motion is shown in an angle-time graph.
Interactive
Concord Consortium

Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Pendulum and Spring

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive tool where students can explore how a pendulum behaves when attached to a spring, which means the length of the attachment is always changing. As the pendulum moves, its motion is shown on two graphs.
Article
Story Behind the Science

Story Behind the Science: Pendulum Motion [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
The history of the pendulum and its importance both in timekeeping, and in how timekeeping was used to solve other problems, such as determining longitude on a map.
Activity
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Pendulum Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive simulation that teaches about periodic motion, simple harmonic motion, and conservation of energy. Observe one or two pendulums to determine how the swing is influenced by the length of the string, the mass of the pendulum...
Activity
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Pendulum Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
Manipulate the mass of a weight and the length of string in this interactive pendulum simulation. Change the speed, friction, and gravity to make the pendulum swing change as measurements are displayed on the screen. Younger students can...
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Virtual Pendulum

For Students 3rd - 8th
This interactive activity from ZOOM offers a chance to experiment with a virtual pendulum and to see how it can be influenced by a variety of factors.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Swing Low: Investigate the Motion of a Pendulum

For Students 3rd - 5th
Kids love to ride the swings at the playground. The back-and-forth motion of a swing demonstrates the physics of a pendulum. In this experiment, you will investigate the factors that affect the speed and duration of a pendulum's swing.
Article
Rice University

Rice University: Galileo's Pendulum Experiments

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from The Galileo Project of the Rice University provides a great look into the pendulum experimens of Galileo. Contains first-hand writings and examples of experiments along with links to additional information.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Pendulums Swing Into Motion

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This lesson will allow students in groups to describe the relationship between energy, work, and force through the use of pendulums. The results will be reported through a graphing activity as well as a paragraph written and printed on...
Article
Story Behind the Science

Story Behind the Science: Pendulum Motion, Time, and Shape of Earth [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Article outlining the scientific history behind the evolution of theories about measuring time based on the movement of a pendulum, and about how gravity would impact a pendulum's movement depending on one's proximity to the Earth's...
Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Double Pendulum Poincare Map

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A double pendulum model where the angles and angular velocities can be manipulated and the effects observed.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Period of a Pendulum Investigation

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using a simulation, students will determine that the pendulum period is affected by the length of the pendulum and gravity but not mass in this activity.
Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Pendulum Energy Model

For Students 6th - 8th
A simulation exploring the energy produced by a simple pendulum, written for middle school. Includes a lesson plan with accompanying worksheets.
Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Double Pendulum Phase Space Model

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Adjust to conditions of a double pendulum model and observe the results in an accompanying graph.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Foucault Pendulum

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students learn about the Foucault pendulum, an engineering tool used to demonstrate and measure the Earth's rotation. Student groups then create small experimental versions, each comprised of a pendulum and a video camera mounted on a...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Simple Pendulum

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students understand the mechanics of a simple pendulum, and solve problems involving a simple pendulum.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Android Pendulums

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students investigate the motion of a simple pendulum through direct observation and data collection using Android devices and the AccelDataCapture app.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Coupled Resonant Pendulums

For Students 9th - 10th
Understand about a pendulum's natural or resonant frequency in this activity where you create your own pendulums. Students make a pendulum out of PVC pipe, string, and hex nuts.
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: The Simple Pendulum

For Students 11th - 12th
By the end of this section, you will be able determine the period of oscillation of a hanging pendulum.
Website
Pennsylvania State University

Acoustics and Vibration Animations: Demonstrations: The Simple Pendulum

For Students 9th - 10th
A series of graphics, downloadable animations and text describe and explain the motion of a pendulum. Some sections require an understanding of calculus.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Coupled Resonant Pendulums 2

For Students 9th - 10th
Understand the concept of resonance to allow you to cause two pendulums to swing in an identical cycle. Pendulum are constructed from simple materials like string, pencils, paper clips, and pennies.
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Resonant Pendulum

For Students 9th - 10th
An experiment in resonance that demonstrates how to make a pendulum swing widely by exerting only a small force.
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: The Pit and the Pendulum

For Students 11th - 12th
A learning module that begins with "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...

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