Science and pendulums?

Question

Predict: Suppose you have a pendulum clock that indicates an earlier time than it really is. ( This means the pendulum has too few swings per minute.) What could you do to the pendulum to make it keep better time?

I'm guessing make the pendulum longer or put more weight on it but i really don't know.....

Answer 1

How to Adjust the Time on a Pendulum Clock

By Greg Lindberg, eHow Contributor

updated: October 25, 2009



I want to do this! What's This? ..

Pendulum clocks are antique clocks that typically include a clock with a minute and an hour hand placed above a swinging pendulum within a wooden cabinet. Pendulum clocks can vary in materials and appearance but generally have similar mechanics. If the time is wrong on your clock, the swinging of your pendulum could be off. Before you can properly adjust the time on the clock, you must make sure that the pendulum is swinging at the correct rate. You also need to make sure you adjust your clock's time so that the clock strikes at the times you want it to.



Instructions.1



Make sure that the pendulum is swinging to the correct beat before you adjust the time. The beat of the pendulum must be set correctly for the clock to run properly, which means that the clock must be level. Tilt the clock on one side and then the other, listening to the beat of the pendulum. Continue until the "tick-tock-tick-tock" is even, and then use coins or other small objects to keep the clock level.



2

Reposition the crutch of the pendulum if the beat is still off. The crutch is the object with an open slot that allows the pendulum to move back and forth. Push the crutch slightly so that it is directly in the center of the clock and positioned so that the pendulum moves the same distance to each side.



3

Adjust the rate to 60 seconds a minute by adjusting the pendulum bob, which is the round object near the top of the pendulum. Raise the pendulum bob to make the pendulum move faster, and lower it to make the pendulum move slower.



4

Set your clock to the correct time by moving the minute hand directly if the clock allows you to. Turn the minute hand until the hour hand reaches the current hour. Finish adjusting the minute hand to the correct time.



5

Continue moving the minute hand until the strike of the clock is corrected, which is determined by the count wheel on your clock, located at the back. Move the minute hand until you hear the clock strike. For French pendulum clocks, there is a knife-edge lifting lever on the back of the clock near the count wheel. Raise the lever 1/8 inch and release it to set the strikes at the beginning of the cycle (see Reference 1).

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Read more: How to Adjust the Time on a Pendulum Clock | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5569735_adjust-time-pendulum-clock.html#ixzz10Ubqes1u



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Answer 2

Assuming this is a theoretical problem and not a "real world" problem, you should shorten the pendulum to make it swing faster. Most old fashioned clocks have a provision for sliding the weight up and down on the swing shaft for just such a purpose. Raise the weight, the clock runs faster...and visa-versa.



The weight in a short pendulum will travel through the arc faster because it has a shorter distance to travel than the weight in a long pendulum. As nothing is changing, such as the forces acting on the pendulum, raising the weight makes the path shorter so it can swing faster for the same angular momentum. Just reverse that for a longer pendulum.



Remember, the pendulum in a clock is not what makes the clock move. It is only a governor which tends to keep the motion of the clock's hands move in constant time intervals as the spring, the driving force of the clock, unwinds. The spring, when wound tightly, will produce a lot of force and when almost unwound it will produce very little force. So, without the pendulum the clock's speed would vary as the spring unwinds.



Hope this helps.





PS: You can find the answers to question like this with a simple Google. For example, try Googling "How does a pendulum clock work?" and see what you get.



Here's something which you may find interesting. --> http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/clock3.htm



If you're interested in the physics, Google for "pendulum physics".

Answer 3

That may be similar to the pendulum at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. From what I recall the pendulum knocks over a peg every hour to demonstrate that the earth is revolving. The pendulum stays in the same place and the earth is the one moving around the pendulum.