Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Physical Pendulum01:06

Physical Pendulum

When a rigid body is hanging freely from a fixed pivot point and is displaced, it oscillates similar to a simple pendulum and is known as a physical pendulum. The period and angular frequency of a physical pendulum are obtained by using the small-angle approximation and drawing parallels with a spring-mass system. The small-angle approximation (sinθ=θ) is valid up to about 14°.
When dealing with complicated systems, the mass moment of inertia is an important parameter, as it describes the mass...
Simple Pendulum01:10

Simple Pendulum

A simple pendulum consists of a small diameter ball suspended from a string, which has negligible mass but is strong enough to not stretch. In our daily life, pendulums have many uses, such as in clocks, on a swing set, and on a sinker on a fishing line.
The period of a simple pendulum depends on two factors: its length and the acceleration due to gravity. The period is completely independent of any other factors, such as mass or maximum displacement. For small displacements, a pendulum is...
Torsional Pendulum01:09

Torsional Pendulum

A torsional pendulum involves the oscillation of a rigid body in which the restoring force is provided by the torsion in the string from which the rigid body is suspended. Ideally, the string should be massless; practically, its mass is much smaller than the rigid body's mass and is neglected.
As long as the rigid body's angular displacement is small, its oscillation can be modeled as a linear angular oscillation. The amplitude of the oscillation is an angle. The role of mass is played by the...
Real-World Applications of Power Series01:27

Real-World Applications of Power Series

The motion of a simple pendulum is governed by Newton’s Second Law in its rotational form, which relates the net torque on the bob to its angular acceleration. This physical law gives rise to a second-order differential equation in which the angular acceleration is proportional to the sine of the displacement angle.Because of the sin(𝜃) term, the governing equation is a nonlinear differential equation, which is difficult to solve analytically. To simplify the mathematical model, the sine...
Forced Oscillations01:06

Forced Oscillations

When an oscillator is forced with a periodic driving force, the motion may seem chaotic. The motions of such oscillators are known as transients. After the transients die out, the oscillator reaches a steady state, where the motion is periodic, and the displacement is determined.
Magnetic Damping01:17

Magnetic Damping

Eddy currents can produce significant drag on motion, called magnetic damping. For instance, when a metallic pendulum bob swings between the poles of a strong magnet, significant drag acts on the bob as it enters and leaves the field, quickly damping the motion.
If, however, the bob is a slotted metal plate, the magnet produces a much smaller effect. When a slotted metal plate enters the field, an emf is induced by the change in flux; however, it is less effective because the slots limit the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same journal

Don't Let Elon Musk Convince You that AI is the Bad Guy: A Film Review of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, Directed by Gore Verbinski. Briarcliff Entertainment, 2026.

Endeavour·2026
Same journal

WITHDRAWN: Feathered architects: Collecting histories of anthropogenic material in birds' nests.

Endeavour·2026
Same journal

Editorial.

Endeavour·2026
Same journal

"We shall do all we can to help you": The Society for Protection of Science and Learning's interwar attempt to aid refugee orthopedists and oncologists.

Endeavour·2026
Same journal

The Welwitsch Study Set: A collection ecology.

Endeavour·2026
Same journal

Giant bones and giants' bodies: Collection ecologies, 1500-1700.

Endeavour·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Kinematic History of a Salient-recess Junction Explored through a Combined Approach of Field Data and Analog Sandbox Modeling
06:55

Kinematic History of a Salient-recess Junction Explored through a Combined Approach of Field Data and Analog Sandbox Modeling

Published on: August 5, 2016

Experimental history: swinging pendulums and melting shellac.

Paolo Palmieri1

  • 11017 Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. pap7@pitt.edu

Endeavour
|August 18, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Revolutionary physics experiments by Galileo Galilei and Augustin Coulomb, though groundbreaking, remain challenging to replicate centuries later. These foundational experiments continue to invite further scientific investigation and understanding.

More Related Videos

Characterizing Multiscale Mechanical Properties of Brain Tissue Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Impact Indentation, and Rheometry
11:19

Characterizing Multiscale Mechanical Properties of Brain Tissue Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Impact Indentation, and Rheometry

Published on: September 6, 2016

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments
10:26

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments

Published on: October 6, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Kinematic History of a Salient-recess Junction Explored through a Combined Approach of Field Data and Analog Sandbox Modeling
06:55

Kinematic History of a Salient-recess Junction Explored through a Combined Approach of Field Data and Analog Sandbox Modeling

Published on: August 5, 2016

Characterizing Multiscale Mechanical Properties of Brain Tissue Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Impact Indentation, and Rheometry
11:19

Characterizing Multiscale Mechanical Properties of Brain Tissue Using Atomic Force Microscopy, Impact Indentation, and Rheometry

Published on: September 6, 2016

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments
10:26

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments

Published on: October 6, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Astronomy
  • Electrostatics

Background:

  • Galileo Galilei's astronomical observations revolutionized the field.
  • Galileo's physics experiments, unlike his astronomical work, remain difficult to replicate.
  • Augustin Coulomb's experimental demonstration of electrostatic force law also presents replication challenges.

Discussion:

  • Despite being exquisite experimentalists, Galileo and Coulomb conducted revolutionary experiments that are not definitively 'finished'.
  • The inherent complexity and foundational nature of these experiments necessitate ongoing investigation.
  • Replication difficulties highlight the profound impact and enduring questions posed by their work.

Key Insights:

  • Revolutionary physics experiments are inherently open-ended, requiring continuous scientific inquiry.
  • The legacy of Galileo and Coulomb lies not just in their discoveries but in the enduring challenges they present.
  • Understanding and replicating foundational experiments is crucial for scientific progress.

Outlook:

  • Future generations of scientists will continue to explore and refine the understanding of these pivotal experiments.
  • The enduring difficulty in replicating these experiments underscores their complexity and importance.
  • Continued investigation promises deeper insights into fundamental physics principles.