Curated OER
Riding on a Pendulum
A comprehensive resource gets fourth grade physical scientists making observations about the period of a pendulum and then applying knowledge to a playground swing. Through seven different stations, they will record observations and...
LABScI
Harmonic Motion: Pendulum Lab
Several times throughout history, groups of soldiers marching in rhythm across a suspension bridge have caused it to collapse. Scholars experiment with pendulums, resonance, and force to determine why this would happen. First, pupils...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Pendulum Time
Take your time with this lesson. Junior engineers read about different types of clocks and then work together to build a pendulum time-keeper. There are no hints as to how they might go about accomplishing this complex task, so you may...
Curated OER
Swinging Pendulum
Students engage in an activity which demonstrates how potential energy (PE) can be converted to kinetic energy (KE) and back again. Given a pendulum height, students calculate and predict how fast the pendulum will swing by understanding...
PHET
Pendulum Lab
How would a pendulum work on the moon or Jupiter? To answer that question scholars control up to two pendulums including their location, length, mass, and amplitude. Added controls include changing the friction and strength of gravity....
Concord Consortium
Double Pendulum
What's better than a pendulum for studying motion and periods? A double pendulum! Young physical scientists use an interactive to explore pendulum motion—times two. The resource boasts a host of parameters to change and a running graph...
Clarkson University
Understanding Energy (With a Pendulum)
Have you ever wanted to play with a giant pendulum? An experiment allows small groups to do just that. They gather data and make observations as they complete the included worksheet. The instructional activity lays out each instruction...
Curated OER
Acceleration of Gravity with Pendulums
Students explore, analyze and study to see whether the length of a pendulum affects its period and whether the mass of a pendulum affects its period. They review and discuss a lengthy list of math definitions and experiment with tables...
Curated OER
Graphing Pendulum Results
Sixth graders set up a pendulum experiment deciding which variable to manipulate (length of string or weight on the string). They create a hypothesis, collect necessary equipment, and write out each step of their experiment. They then...
Concord Consortium
Energy of a Pendulum
Just a swingin'! Introduce physical science scholars to the energy forms associated with a pendulum using a simple interactive. Learners adjust the height from which the pendulum starts, then observe changes in potential, kinetic, and...
Curated OER
Pendulums
First-time physicists experiment with pendulums in this physics lesson. They vary the weight of the bob, record how long each takes to complete ten period swings, and then calculate the time for one period. They repeat the procedure,...
Concord Consortium
Pendulum and Spring
Up, down, back, and forth. When you make a pendulum out of a spring, there's a lot to observe. Aspiring masters of motion examine the combined kinetic energies of spring and pendulum motion using a detailed interactive. Learners observe...
Concord Consortium
Pendulum
Add some zing to your swing! Explore pendulum motion through an engaging interactive. Physical science scholars specify the pendulum's mass, rod length, and starting angle before they observe the resulting angle graph.
Teach Engineering
Swinging Pendulum
Get into the swing of things. Pupils use a pendulum to demonstrate the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy and back. After measuring the speed of a pendulum and compare it to the calculated theoretical speed, they determine...
Curated OER
Foucault Pendulum Worksheet
Many museums and observatories have a Foucault pendulum set up to demonstrate Earth's rotation upon an axis. This worksheet would be especially valuable if you happen upon one of these displays during a field trip. You could also find a...
Curated OER
Pendulum Motion
Students explore questions which cannot be handled with simple pendulums, and examine both the usefulness and the limitations of approximations in science. A Java applet created from a Stella model is included.
Curated OER
Pendulums
Students explore the period of a pendulum. In this pendulum lesson plan, students make a pendulum using a fishing weight, hook, string and paper clip and measure the pendulum's period. Students measure the number of seconds for 10 cycles...
Curated OER
Pendulum Lab in 9th Grade Physical Science
Ninth graders conduct experiments to determine what affects the rate of a pendulum's swing. Working in small groups, they identify an independent variable to study and create an experiment to test their hypothesis. When tests are...
Curated OER
Pendulums on the Moon
Middle schoolers conduct experiments to determine if length, mass, or starting angle has any effect on the rate of a pendulum's swing. They also conduct an experiment online to determine if gravitational force plays a role in the swing. ...
Curated OER
Coupled Resonant Pendulums
Learners discover every pendulum has a natural vibration cycle that depends on its length. In this physical science lesson, students participate in an experiment that shows the natural vibration frequency of two pendulums is the same if...
Curated OER
Periodic Motion - The Pendulum
High schoolers study the concept of periodic motion and relate it to the movement of a pendulum. They discover that the period of a pendulum is dependent on the length of the pendulum and independent of the bob and the amplitude.
Curated OER
Periodic Motion - The Pendulum
Students experiment to determine the period of a pendulum. In this periodic motion lesson, students use different pendulums to determine their periods. They use various amplitudes to determine its effects on the period.
Curated OER
Exploring Pendulums
In this exploring pendulums worksheet, students experiment with pendulums they make in the lab. They vary the length of the strings and the weights to observe the changes in the pendulum's amplitude and frequency. They answer 3 analysis...
Curated OER
Rock-A-Bye Pendulum
Third graders analyze the effects of force on an object in motion and its relationship to a change in speed. This lesson plan uses a pendulum to demonstrate the principle.