pendulums

[GB1]

The period of a pendulum is proportional to the (square root of the) length of the line suspending the weight.

The longer the pendulum, the slower it swings (i.e. the longer the period).

BTW, "pendulum" is derived from the Latin "pendulus", meaning "hanging."

Pendulums were used as the most accurate form of time-keeping from the time of Galileo, who discovered their basic properties, until the 1930s.

So ... Harvard built a device with a series of 15 pendulums in a row, each one slightly longer than its neighbor, set them in motion, and filmed the result.

The patterns that appear in this 1:46 video are fascinating to watch, think about, and try to explain:

[armando_m]

Marvelous!

[GB1]

Armando, I wonder if building one of these would be a worthwhile photo endeavor? I can see some really neat long-exposure opportunities !!!