University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Pendulum Lab
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...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Swing Thing
In this activity, students will construct a pendulum and create a motion plot for a swinging pendulum. They will also identify characteristics that affect a pendulum's motion.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Tic, Toc: Pendulum Motion
In this activity, students' will use a motion detector to plot the position versus time graph for a swinging pendulum. They will determine the period of the motion and model the position data using a cosine function.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Swinging Ellipses: Plotting an Ellipse
In this activity, Students can use a motion detector to record the position and velocity of a swinging pendulum. They will plot the data as a velocity versus position phase plot and determine an ellipse that fits it.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Into the Swing of Things
Students learn the basic properties of periodic and harmonic motion, and how the rearrangement of the simple pendulum equation can be used to solve for gravitational acceleration, pendulum length, and gravity. At lesson plan end,...
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Swinging Atwood's Machine Model
Variation on the standard Atwood's Machine model, where one hanging mass swings like a pendulum and the other remains stationary. Manipulate the conditions and observe the results.
PBS
Pbs Kids: Zoom Science: Introduction to Pendulums
What is a pendulum? What makes it swing? Who was Leon Foucault? Discover the answers to these and related questions.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Trig and Forces: The Pendulum
Using Newton's Laws of motion to calculate the acceleration of a pendulum as well as to compute and draw its position along the swing and move about the screen in a computationally based graphic system.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Robin Hood Swing
Students must predict how far Robin Hood will move horizontally as he first swings like a pendulum and then sails like a projectile into a lake below. This video explains the problem: https://youtu.be/4ZEmvPEJTW4
TOPS Learning Systems
Tops Learning Systems: Top Science: Paper Clip Pendulums [Pdf]
Investigate how the length of a pendulum's chain or string affects the frequency of its swings.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Swinging Along
Students model the data from the motion of a pendulum by a periodic function. They relate its parameters to the time for one period, the distance it is pulled back, and its distance from the motion detector.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Two Springs and a Pendulum Model
Swing virtual pendulums and compare the motion of one oscillating weight on a horizontal spring to a second weight on another spring. Then, compare how these motions differ from the motion of a simple pendulum.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Energy of Displaced Pendulum
Students must predict the speed a pendulum bob will have after it has reached the lowest point of its swing.
Other
My Physics Lab: Simple Pendulum
Experiment with a pendulum to see what happens to the oscillation when you change the mass, gravity, or damping. Students can also change the starting position. Site includes equations to help students understand what is happening in the...
Other
My Physics Lab: Double Pendulum
Experiment with a double pendulum to see what happens to the oscillation when you change the mass, gravity, or damping. Students can also change the starting position. The site includes equations to help students understand what is...
Google
Google for Education: Modeling Pendulums Using Computational Thinking
In this demonstration, students learn how to use computational thinking to discover the laws which govern a pendulum's swing.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy of Motion
By taking a look at the energy of motion all around us, students learn about the types of energy and their characteristics. They first learn about the two simplest forms of mechanical energy: kinetic and potential energy, as illustrated...
Concord Consortium
The Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Conservation of Momentum
View a simulation that shows the reaction to a cart on wheels carrying a swinging pendulum.