Louisville Science Center Foucault Pendulum - Louisville, KY
Posted by: 
cldisme
N 38° 15.439 W 085° 45.753
16S E 608266 N 4235089
A Foucault Pendulum in the lobby of the Louisville Science Center
Waymark Code: WMB78X
Location: Kentucky, United States
Date Posted: 04/14/2011
Views: 13
The interpretive sign reads:
FOUCAULT PENDULUM
The pendulum is a way of demonstrating that the earth rotates around its axis. The Frenchman Jean Foucault (fu-ko') invented the method in 1851.
A pendulum is simply a weight suspended on a wire and hanging from a fixed point in such a way that it can swing freely in a fixed plane to and fro under the combined forces of gravity and momentum. While the pendulum appears to change its path during the day, in reality the black marble base is moving by the virtue of the earth's rotation. The pegs are rotating along with the daily motion of the earth (just as you are) and are being knocked down as they cross the pendulum's path. So, although the pendulum sees to be rotating in one direction, actually the Museum is rotating in the other direction. Because the Museum is not direct on the earth's axis, the pegs do not show a full 360 degrees of rotation every 24 hours. At Louisvill's latitude, the pegs overtake the about 223 degrees in 24 hours.
The Museum's version of Foucault's famous experiment is kept swinging back and forth against air resistance by a magentic impulse that is given it on every swing.
The exhibit is a gift of the First National Bank of Louisville.
Material: brass
Rotation time: 38
Hours of Operation: From: 9:30 AM To: 5:00 PM
Admission Cost: 18.00 (listed in local currency)
Weight of the ball: Not Listed
Length: Not Listed
Period of oscillation: Not Listed
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