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ys2050
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When you hang a pendulum from the ceiling and spin it, (conical pendulum) why does it only spin in one direction? What's the physics behind the motion and the forces of it that makes it spin in only one direction?
ys2050 said:When you hang a pendulum from the ceiling and spin it, (conical pendulum) why does it only spin in one direction? What's the physics behind the motion and the forces of it that makes it spin in only one direction?
stewartcs said:Because you spun it in one direction.
CS
Why not?ys2050 said:but if you spin it in opposite direction, it won't travel in a circle...;;
A conical pendulum is a type of pendulum that consists of a weight or bob attached to a string or rod and suspended from a fixed point. However, unlike a regular pendulum, the conical pendulum swings in a circular motion instead of back and forth.
The conical pendulum's one-way motion is a result of two forces acting on the bob: gravity and tension. When the bob is pulled to the side, gravity pulls it back towards the center, while tension in the string or rod pulls it towards the fixed point. This combination of forces creates a circular motion in a single direction.
The motion of a conical pendulum is affected by the length of the string or rod, the mass of the bob, the angle of the string or rod, and the acceleration due to gravity. Changing any of these factors can alter the speed and direction of the pendulum's motion.
The formula for calculating the period (time for one complete swing) of a conical pendulum is T = 2π√(L/g), where T is the period, L is the length of the string or rod, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. This formula assumes that the angle of the string or rod is small (less than 15 degrees).
Conical pendulums are used in physics experiments to demonstrate the principles of circular motion, centripetal force, and simple harmonic motion. They are also used in applications such as amusement park rides and Foucault pendulums, which show the rotation of the Earth.