Physical Pendulum (Noun)
Meaning
Pendulum consisting of an actual object allowed to rotate freely around a horizontal axis.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- A simple physical pendulum consists of a rigid rod with a large bob attached to the end to provide rotational inertia around the pivot.
- The physical pendulum used in a physics lab had a metal disk attached to a metal rod and a metal axle for low friction rotation.
- Friction at the pivot of a physical pendulum causes the oscillation to decrease over time due to energy loss.
- Energy lost in a physical pendulum from air resistance corresponds inversely to the mass of the pendulum due to kinetic energy per unit mass.
- As energy is transferred and dissipated, the oscillations of a physical pendulum decrease over time, which corresponds to a smaller amplitude in sine waves plotted of the object's motion.