Re: "simple" pendulum

[Bob Sciamanda <trebor@VELOCITY.NET>]

This is another example of the reality of "absolute" rotation.  You cannot
produce the parabolic curvature in the surface of a pail of water by
merely going into a spin yourself so as to effect a relative rotation
between you and the water.  The water must rotate, not you.  Likewise you
cannot produce the conical pendulum by merely observing a simple pendulum
from a state of self rotation.

Bob Sciamanda (W3NLV)
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor

"To me it seems as if many of those who are discussing this question of
the conservation of [energy] are plunging into the fog of mysticism."
-Written in 1858 by William Barton Rogers, founder of MIT.

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Edmiston <edmiston@BLUFFTON.EDU>
To: <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 1999 5:10 PM
Subject: Re: "simple" pendulum


> In the beginning, I thought I might be able to imagine two reference
> frames, one in which a simple pendulum looks like a simple pendulum,
> and the other in which it looks like a conical pendulum, or vice-versa.
>  But upon more thinking, sketching, visualizing, etc. I am unable to
> imagine this.  . . .