Lind Hall Foucault Pendulum Repair
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom A
Start Date
17-5-2012
End Date
17-5-2012
Abstract
Lind Hall is one of the older buildings on campus and was built with a Foucault pendulum as the centerpiece feature. A Foucault pendulum demonstrates the earth’s rotation by constantly changing direction of its apparent swing. The Foucault pendulum in Lind Hall has not been operating since 2004. A group from the CWU Society of Physics Students has been attempting to fix the pendulum over the past two years. The effort has encountered multiple problems which we have attempted to address. Originally it was believed that the only issue was a malfunctioning drive circuit, but once the electronics for the drive were repaired it became apparent that there are other underlying issues. The pendulum has a tendency to develop an elliptical swing and does not precess as predicted due to the earth’s rotation. We will report on our efforts and the documentation.
Recommended Citation
Wenger, Addison; Minton, Rolf; Inghamm, Matthew; and Corbin, Ryan, "Lind Hall Foucault Pendulum Repair" (2012). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 130.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2012/posters/130
Poster Number
4
Additional Mentoring Department
Physics
Lind Hall Foucault Pendulum Repair
SURC Ballroom A
Lind Hall is one of the older buildings on campus and was built with a Foucault pendulum as the centerpiece feature. A Foucault pendulum demonstrates the earth’s rotation by constantly changing direction of its apparent swing. The Foucault pendulum in Lind Hall has not been operating since 2004. A group from the CWU Society of Physics Students has been attempting to fix the pendulum over the past two years. The effort has encountered multiple problems which we have attempted to address. Originally it was believed that the only issue was a malfunctioning drive circuit, but once the electronics for the drive were repaired it became apparent that there are other underlying issues. The pendulum has a tendency to develop an elliptical swing and does not precess as predicted due to the earth’s rotation. We will report on our efforts and the documentation.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Michael Braunstein