This applet is part of an extensive site titled The Pendulum Lab. This applet simulates a simple undriven, undamped pendulum. The length of the pendulum, the amplitude of the oscillations, and the acceleration of gravity can be changed, and the period can be measured. This is a part of an extensive site on linear and non-linear oscillators that includes simulations and notes on non-linear and driven pendulums.
Type of Material:
Java applet
Recommended Uses:
Virtual Lab, Tutorial
Technical Requirements:
Inconsistent performance in Mac OS X. Some problems with IE 6.0 and the Microsoft VM.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
This applet can be used to investigate pendulum motion, or to model experimental methods.
Target Student Population:
The extensive notes are appropriate for upper level undergraduate and graduate classical mechanics courses. The applet can be used for qualitative study at a variety of levels including high school physics and introductory, algebra-based physics.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
For full use of the notes, an introductory course in differential equations is necessary. For introductory level physics classes, an understanding of basic mechanics.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This applet is a straight-forward simulation of a physical system, with a measuring device (in this case a stopwatch) included. The three physical parameters in the problem, the length of the pendulum, the amplitude of the oscillation, and the acceleration due to gravity, can be adjusted. Students can treat this as a real lab online with the need to consider issues such as measurement accuracy and errors.
This material goes beyond the usual linearlized oscillator to explore the motion of a real pendulum, and includes a brief derivation of the resultant equation of motion.
Concerns:
This particular applet is very basic and simple. However, it leads to a very rich and sophisticated collection of materials.
A minor point is that when the length of the pendulum is changed, the period does change as expected but this is not shown on the image of the simulation.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This material includes both tutorial material and questions for students to probe their understanding. This makes the material very complete, so that it can be given to students "as is" to study.
This applet can be used as an on-line lab using the included stop watch. It can be used in an exploratory fashion with students varying the parameters and measuring (not just being given) the answers. The key is that this applet follows along with standard lab procedures, with the need to decide what to measure, interpret the results, and consider errors in the measurement.
Concerns:
Instructors will have to put some thought into the results students are to get out of this activity. Introductory students will probably need some guidance as to how to interpret this data.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
This applet has a very simple interface that is easy to understand and use. There are instructions and very extensive notes.
Concerns:
As noted above, there seem to be some problems rendering these pages in Internet Explorer 6.
Creative Commons:
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