Wilberforce Pendulum
Discovered by the physicist Lionel Robert Wilberforce around 1896, the Wilberforce Pendulum is an example of a coupled mechanical oscillator.
When properly calibrated, the pendulum weight will initially move up and down, but the motion will then change until the weight is rotating, and there is no up and down motion at all. Then gradually the motion changes back to the up and down motion, and so on.
The up and down motion causes the spring to wind and unwind slightly, giving the mass a small rotation. Each oscillation causes the mass to rotate a little more, until the mass is undergoing purely rotational motion and no longer bobbing up and down. Thus the translational up and down energy slowly transfers to rotational energy. Likewise, when the mass is rotating back and forth, the spring winds and unwinds.
When it unwinds, the tension in the spring decreases and the mass drops as there is a smaller upward force pulling it up. Thus for each rotation it undergoes, the rotational energy starts to transfer back to translational energy, and the weight bobs up and down with greater amplitude, until it eventually transfers entirely back, and undergoes purely up and down motion. At this point the process repeats.
Kit Contains: (1) Adjustable Wilberforce Pendulum Mass, (1) Helical Spring, (1) Mounting Rod connected to a boss head clamp.
See this item in action
More Information
Shipping
We aim to ship orders within 48 hours.
For UK deliveries, we use DHL Parcel (UK) and EVRI.
For deliveries to Europe we offer a choice of DPD or DHL.
For deliveries outside Europe, we ship by DHL.
Our warehouse works Monday to Friday only. If we receive your order by 10am then we aim to ship the same day or the next day, depending on how busy the warehouse is. On the day your order ships, the warehouse will send you your tracking number by e-mail at 7pm UK time. The delivery time to reach you will depend on the shipping option you have chosen.
Returns
We will accept items that you wish to return, within 30 days of placing the order. You are responsible for the cost of shipping the item back to us, and it must be in saleable condition. We will refund you the cost of the item. Please let us know if you wish to return an item before you send it.
If the item is faulty, please let us know, and we will ship a replacement or refund your money, as you wish.
Have a Question?
Please contact us or take a look at our FAQS.
