Abstract

Student understanding of the superposition of perpendicular harmonic oscillators can be enhanced using a spark generator to record position-versus-time data for smallamplitude pendulum motion in two dimensions. Our students have used this arrangement to analyze the motion of a spherical pendulum and a “Y-suspended” (Blackburn) pendulum that has two effective lengths.

Disciplines

Physics

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This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Association of Physics Teachers. The following article appeared in The Physics Teacher.

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URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/phy_fac/72