THE PENDULUM:CASE STUDY IN PHYSICS PAPER: A Case Study in Physics

“a book devoted thematically to the history and physics of the pendulum is most welcomeGregory Baker and James Blackburn do an excellent job of weaving physical explanations with literary quotes and amusing anecdotes from the history of science. The authors have written their account for
undergraduate physics majorsThe book offers a tour of different incarnations of the pendulum. An enjoyable theme and variations, it is well suited for use as a resource or as a recommended text in an advanced course on mechanincs.”–Science
“In this well-illustrated treatment of the study of pendulum, Baker and Blackburn provide fascinating information about the history of the pendulum and what scientists thought it did, the revolution wrought by Foucault, the special cases of the torsion pendulum, the chaotic pendulum, the quantum
pendulum, and coupled pendulums, the effects of superconductivity, and the most familiar to most of us, the pendulum clock. They include information on special interests in the appendices, such as the inverted pendulum and the Longnow clock.”–SciTech Book News
“Pendulums simple, compound, chaotic, and quantum are described and analyzed in this concise book. Setting the tone, the small ample oscillations of a simple pendulum with no friction are modeled with differential equations. Time series graphs and phase plane diagrams are introduced for the simple
pendulum and used later in the book for more complicated pendulums, especially the chaotic pendulum. Good historical and cultural background enliven the book, as do detailed drawings of historically significant apparatus such as the torsion pendulums used by Cavendish forhis experiments on Earth’s
gravity and by Coulomb for his experiments on the fundamental electrostatic force. Chapters on modern topicsare supported with excellent use of graphs, diagrams, historical background, and differential equations…Fascinating aspects of the Foucault pendulum, Newton’s Cradle, and other well-known
pendulums are provided.” –CHOICE

“a book devoted thematically to the history and physics of the pendulum is most welcomeGregory Baker and James Blackburn do an excellent job of weaving physical explanations with literary quotes and amusing anecdotes from the history of science. The authors have written their account for
undergraduate physics majorsThe book offers a tour of different incarnations of the pendulum. An enjoyable theme and variations, it is well suited for use as a resource or as a recommended text in an advanced course on mechanincs.”–Science
“In this well-illustrated treatment of the study of pendulum, Baker and Blackburn provide fascinating information about the history of the pendulum and what scientists thought it did, the revolution wrought by Foucault, the special cases of the torsion pendulum, the chaotic pendulum, the quantum
pendulum, and coupled pendulums, the effects of superconductivity, and the most familiar to most of us, the pendulum clock. They include information on special interests in the appendices, such as the inverted pendulum and the Longnow clock.”–SciTech Book News
“Pendulums simple, compound, chaotic, and quantum are described and analyzed in this concise book. Setting the tone, the small ample oscillations of a simple pendulum with no friction are modeled with differential equations. Time series graphs and phase plane diagrams are introduced for the simple
pendulum and used later in the book for more complicated pendulums, especially the chaotic pendulum. Good historical and cultural background enliven the book, as do detailed drawings of historically significant apparatus such as the torsion pendulums used by Cavendish forhis experiments on Earth’s
gravity and by Coulomb for his experiments on the fundamental electrostatic force. Chapters on modern topicsare supported with excellent use of graphs, diagrams, historical background, and differential equations…Fascinating aspects of the Foucault pendulum, Newton’s Cradle, and other well-known
pendulums are provided.” –CHOICE

“a book devoted thematically to the history and physics of the pendulum is most welcomeGregory Baker and James Blackburn do an excellent job of weaving physical explanations with literary quotes and amusing anecdotes from the history of science. The authors have written their account for
undergraduate physics majorsThe book offers a tour of different incarnations of the pendulum. An enjoyable theme and variations, it is well suited for use as a resource or as a recommended text in an advanced course on mechanincs.”–Science
“In this well-illustrated treatment of the study of pendulum, Baker and Blackburn provide fascinating information about the history of the pendulum and what scientists thought it did, the revolution wrought by Foucault, the special cases of the torsion pendulum, the chaotic pendulum, the quantum
pendulum, and coupled pendulums, the effects of superconductivity, and the most familiar to most of us, the pendulum clock. They include information on special interests in the appendices, such as the inverted pendulum and the Longnow clock.”–SciTech Book News
“Pendulums simple, compound, chaotic, and quantum are described and analyzed in this concise book. Setting the tone, the small ample oscillations of a simple pendulum with no friction are modeled with differential equations. Time series graphs and phase plane diagrams are introduced for the simple
pendulum and used later in the book for more complicated pendulums, especially the chaotic pendulum. Good historical and cultural background enliven the book, as do detailed drawings of historically significant apparatus such as the torsion pendulums used by Cavendish for his experiments onEarth’s
gravity and by Coulomb for his experiments on the fundamental electrostatic force. Chapters on modern topicsare supported with excellent use of graphs, diagrams, historical background, and differential equations…Fascinating aspects of the Foucault pendulum, Newton’s Cradle, and other well-known
pendulums are provided.” –CHOICE

One of the delightful aspects of this book is its attention to historical detail. Not only does this add greatly to the enjoyment of reading it, it also gives a vivid impression of progress in our knowledge of the physical world, all too often absent in more focused and specialized works. ― Contemporary Physics

The Pendulum presents insights and unusual approaches that will broaden the experience of undergraduate physics students. ― Kenneth S. Krane, Physics Today