[time-nuts] A different timenuts interest

Magnus Danielson magnus at rubidium.dyndns.org
Thu Jul 22 00:50:03 UTC 2010


On 07/22/2010 02:13 AM, Morris Odell wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have been asked to help with the construction of a Foucault pendulum. This
> is a long pendulum which oscillates in a slow stately fashion in a fixed
> plane which appears to move as the earth rotates. In reality the surrounding
> environment is really moving relative to the plane of oscillation.
>
> The pendulum requires a sustaining system to compensate for the inevitable
> energy loss with each swing. The system is located in the building and
> therefore rotates relative to the pendulum. It needs to provide an impulse
> which does not affect the plane of oscillation of the pendulum. I was
> thinking of an electromagnet located below the centre of the swing which
> would be pulsed appropriately as the bob passes over it.
>
> Has anyone here had any experience with such a system of have any
> suggestions regarding the sustaining system? This is an interesting and
> challenging project.

Just as you slightly "push away" the bob you could also attract it as it 
comes back... then you get a push-pull action. A coil in the center 
would have a fairly low plane-shifting action.

Cheers,
Magnus




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