The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #31873   Message #416204
Posted By: Jim Dixon
12-Mar-01 - 08:37 PM
Thread Name: BS - Science Question for Amos or Wolfgang
Subject: RE: BS - Science Question for Amos or Wolfgang
As I recall, Foucault's pendulum rotates (that is, the plane of its oscillation rotates relative to the earth) at a varying rate depending on the latitude. A pendulum at the poles rotates 360 degrees in 24 hours. At other latitudes, it rotates more slowly. At the equator, it doesn't rotate at all.

A pendulum has to be very heavy, very delicately balanced and hung from a very stable mount, in order to observe this effect. There is one at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and one on the campus of Macalester College here in St. Paul. No doubt there are numerous others, but I can't name any.

Since St. Paul is at exactly 45 degrees latitude, you might think our pendulum would rotate 180 degrees in 24 hours, but that is not the case. The formula is more complicated than that, but I don't remember it.