Divided brass arc on a wooden board
- Materials:
- complete , brass (copper, zinc alloy) , steel (metal) , lead (metal) , oak (wood) and varnish
- Object Number:
- 1883-8/2
Foucault Pendulum for demonstrating the Earth's rotation, with stand, divided arc, lapse clock, storage box
- maker:
- Royal College of Science and
- Science Museum
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LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
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LicenseIllustration: Foucault Pendulum, Conditions of Oscillation
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Foucault's pendulum
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Resetting Foucault's Pendulum, 1988
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Resetting Foucault's Pendulum, 1988
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Foucault pendulum (brass bob) made in physics laboratory Royal
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Resetting Foucault's Pendulum, 1988
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Made in the workshops of the Royal College of Science (now
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Made in the workshops of the Royal College of Science (now
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Announcement board for release of pendulum. 3/4 view
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Brass Foucault pendulum bob and suspension piece made respectively in the Physics Laboratory and Mechanical Laboratory of the Royal College of Science in 1883, with a divided brass arc on a wooden board with lapse time clock indicator dial and wooden bob stand made in the Science Museum workshop, 1928. Set up in a stair well in the Western Galleries [1883-1920s] and then the Science Museum [1920s-1988]
Made in the workshops of the Royal College of Science (now Imperial College) in 1883, this Foucault Pendulum demonstrated the rotation of the Earth at the Science Museum until1988. Designed by Prof. Brian Pippard, its replacement that runs continually so avoiding the need to re-swing the pendulum each hour. In this 1988 view, the pendulum is shown being re-set by Rebecca Walker a member of staff. It is held at the end of its swing by a leather strap with cord attached to a hook. Once motionless, the pendulum is released by burning through the thread with a match. The French physicist Leon Foucault, who conceived the display, first demonstrated it at the Parisian Patheon in 1851.
Details
- Category:
- Astronomy
- Object Number:
- 1883-8
- Materials:
- brass (copper, zinc alloy), steel (metal), wood (unidentified), lead (metal) and complete
- Measurements:
-
overall: 500 x 2230 x 930 x 160 mm
scale: 120 x 2050 x 750 mm
wire length : 1883-1920s: 17.3806 m
wire length: 1920s-1988: 24.0888 m
- credit:
- Normal School of Science (Astronomical Laboratory)
Parts
Lapse clock for Foucault Pendulum demonstration.
- Object Number:
- 1883-8/3
Explanatory diagram of the Foucalt Pendulum.
- Materials:
- complete , oak (wood) , glass , paper and brass (copper, zinc alloy)
- Object Number:
- 1883-8/4
- type:
- diagram
Box of string loops for Foucault Pendulum.
- Materials:
- cotton (thread) , steel (metal) , tin plated and plastic (unidentified)
- Object Number:
- 1883-8/5
- type:
- component - object , container and foucault pendulum apparatus
