The Pit and the Pendulum
The Foucault pendulum swings back and forth at the Museum of Natural Science in Houston, Texas
Besides swinging back and forth, a Foucault pendulum is suspended in a way that allows it to also pivot in a circle. This pivoting is due to precession caused by the earth's rotation, so the Foucault pendulum verifies that the earth does indeed rotate.
As this pendulum precesses around the circle, it knocks down the pointed wooden blocks seen here. Visitors to the museum often stand around the outer edge of the pit long enough to see a block get knocked over, then move on to other parts of the museum.
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Foucault pendulum swings back and forth at the Museum of Natural Science in Houston, Texas
Besides swinging back and forth, a Foucault pendulum is suspended in a way that allows it to also pivot in a circle. This pivoting is due to precession caused by the earth's rotation, so the Foucault pendulum verifies that the earth does indeed rotate.
As this pendulum precesses around the circle, it knocks down the pointed wooden blocks seen here. Visitors to the museum often stand around the outer edge of the pit long enough to see a block get knocked over, then move on to other parts of the museum.