answersLogoWhite

0

It doesn't change direction; there is no force on it (perpendicular to the plane in which it swings) that would cause it to do so.

It APPEARS to change direction relative to the Earth, but the Earth is a rotating frame of reference. If you watch the pendulum from a frame of reference above the Earth and the pendulum, you would see that it swings back and forth in its plane of oscillation.

See the famous movie FRAMES of REFERENCE, with Professors Hume and Ivey, made in 1959, to see an excellent demonstration of this. Using a rotating frame, they show that a camera in the rotating frame appears to show the pendulum changing direction. Using a camera above the rotating frame, fixed to the floor, they show the pendulum never changes direction; only the frame rotates.

. It swings back and forth in the same plane. There is no force on it to make it change

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Earth Science

A Foucault pendulum appears to change its direction of swing due to the?

rotation of the Earth. The pendulum's motion is not actually changing direction; instead, it is the observer's reference frame that is rotating along with the Earth, creating the illusion of the pendulum's changing direction. This phenomenon demonstrates the Earth's rotation.


A wave changes directions when its speed changes This is called?

Reflection, or refraction, depending on what causes the change in direction.


What causes a tornado to move or change direction?

A number of things. Outflow from the parent storm or a nearby storm can give a tornado a "push" in a new direction. Larger scale wind currents can change the direction of the parent storm itself


How does a continent affect surface current?

Continents can affect surface currents by causing them to deflect due to the Coriolis effect. This effect is caused by Earth's rotation and causes surface currents to change direction as they flow around land masses. The shape and location of continents can also influence the direction and strength of surface currents by creating barriers or channels for the flow of ocean water.


What happens when light passes into water?

The light will change directions (to be closer to the normal) once it hits the water. This is known as refraction which is a property of light. In this case, you have 2 media (plural form of medium). The two are air and water. The reason it changes direction is because air allows a different speed of light than water. Water is denser which is why light can't travel as fast. This change in the speed of light is what causes the light to change direction once it hits the water. In conclusion, after light hits the water, it will change directions (to be closer to the normal) due to the fact that the medium is changed(from air to water) which results in a change in the speed of light.

Related Questions

Why does a foucault pendulum change direction?

A Foucault pendulum changes direction due to the rotation of the Earth. As the Earth rotates beneath the pendulum, it causes the plane of the pendulum's swing to slowly rotate, creating the apparent change in direction over time. This phenomenon is a result of the Coriolis effect.


What causes the apparent change in direction of a swinging foucault pedulum?

The apparent change in direction of a swinging Foucault pendulum is due to the rotation of the Earth. As the pendulum swings, the Earth rotates underneath it, causing the deviation in its path over time. This effect is known as the Coriolis force.


How does the Foucault pendulum demonstrate the rotation of the Earth?

The Foucault pendulum demonstrates the rotation of the Earth by showing the change in direction of the pendulum's swing over time. As the Earth rotates beneath it, the pendulum's swing appears to rotate, providing visual evidence of the Earth's rotation.


Why was the Foucault pendulum created?

The Foucault pendulum was created by physicist Léon Foucault in 1851 to demonstrate the Earth's rotation. The pendulum's oscillations change direction over time due to the Earth's rotation underneath it. This provided visual proof of the Earth's rotation, which was a significant scientific discovery at the time.


How does the Foucault pendulum work?

The Foucault Pendulum experiment proves that the Earth rotates beneath the pendulum, which proved that the Earth rotates. If one were to make a pendulum on the equator it would not work because it doesnt rotate at that point of the Earth.


A Foucault pendulum appears to change its direction of swing due to the?

rotation of the Earth. The pendulum's motion is not actually changing direction; instead, it is the observer's reference frame that is rotating along with the Earth, creating the illusion of the pendulum's changing direction. This phenomenon demonstrates the Earth's rotation.


What happens to the path of a pendulum over a day?

if the pendulum is free to swing in any direction (not constrained to a single plane, as is the pendulum in a pendulum clock), this is called a Foucault pendulum, and each swing will be slightly offset from the previous one due to the rotation of the Earth. If you were to attach a pen to the bottom of a Foucault pendulum, over the course of time it would make a tremendously complicated spirograph pattern.


Why the foucault pendulum demonstrated in 1851?

WHAT did Foucault's pendulum demonstrate in the year 1851 C.E. ? It confirmed for many and demonstrated the rotation of the earth on it's axis. The principal of the earth's rotation was proven by suspending a "pointed pendulum" with it's tip & terminus just barely in contact with a smooth level area of sand. The pattern changes overtime, this can only happen if the earth is rotating. This apparatus is elegant in it's simplicity and irrefutable proof of earth rotation.


What causes the apparent change in the path of the pendulum?

The apparent change in the path of a pendulum is caused by the Coriolis force, which is a result of the Earth's rotation. As the pendulum swings, the Earth rotates beneath it, causing the pendulum's path to appear curved. This is known as the Coriolis effect, and it influences the direction of moving objects on Earth.


What causes the apparent change in the path of pendulum?

no


A Foucault pendulum provides evidence of Earth's?

rotation. The swinging motion of the pendulum appears to change over time due to the rotation of the Earth beneath it, demonstrating the Earth's rotation in relation to the pendulum. This phenomenon is known as the Coriolis effect.


How pendulum can change the direction on its own?

A pendulum changes direction on its own due to the conservation of energy. As the pendulum swings back and forth, it converts potential energy to kinetic energy and back again. This continuous exchange of energy allows the pendulum to reverse its direction without any external force.