Simple Pendulum - Cover Sheet SCI Home | SCI Faculty Page | Case Notes | Reference List | Users Notes

Author - Bob Huffman - Summer 1996

[JDS] This case seems a bit sketchy, but it has been used by a few people. They could add some useful comments about how to use this case.

Case Purpose This is an exercise designed to illustrate the scientific method using the simple pendulum. The expectation is that the students will work in groups of three or four. Each page of the handout is to be given separately. The entire time for this exercise is probably 2-3 days.

Relation to Texts This exercise would fit well with Chapter 2 of Ziman. [JDS]

Description of Case Materials The pendulum is available from the Physics Department.

Case Use Student groups are shown the apparatus. They are asked frist to speculate about the way the pendulum works and about the relationship between the variables. They then perform experiments of their own design and consider a mathematical model of the system.

Reference List