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The Wilberforce pendulum is a bob with masses on the side to give it a large moment of inertia. The pendulum demonstrates conservation of energy as it oscillates between two modes: one is the up-and-down motion of a mass on a spring, while the other is the spinning motion of a torsional pendulum.
If the bob is pulled down and released it will begin to oscillate up and down. Shortly after, it will begin to rotate. Because the total energy of the system is constant, as the rotation speeds up the up and down oscillation loses amplitude. Eventually, the bob seems to only spin. It then begins oscillating up and down as the rotation slows until it is no longer spinning and has a large vertical amplitude. This alternation continues.
* Equipment seen in the video may vary from equipment used in ND Demonstrations. See information and images below for ND equipment and setup.
Setup:
Hang the pendulum from the ring stand using the burette clamp.
Pull down on the bob and release to see the oscillations.
Notes:
Too large of an initial amplitude will not produce good results but too small of an amplitude will damp out very quickly. May require a little practice.
Courses Used In:
PHY 10111
PHY 10310
PHY 10410
PHY 30210
Discussion and Polling Questions:
What are the components of the total energy of this system?
What does each component look like over time?
What does the total energy look like over time?
Equipment Needed:
Ring Stand
Burette Clamp
Wilberforce Pendulum
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