3B SCIENTIFIC PHYSICS 8403000 Instructions D'emploi page 6

Operating instructions
4/05 ELWE/ALF
Foucault's pendulum is used for the quantitative meas-
urement and qualitative demonstration of the earth's
rotation.
1. Safety instructions
∑ The glass housing should not be subjected to any
mechanical load or stress. Caution: Danger of break-
age and injury!
∑ Follow the instructions for positioning (3.1 Setup).
∑ When configuring the electrical excitation, do not turn
up the electricity so high that the bob hits the glass
wall.
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8403000 Foucault's pendulum
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PHYSICS PHYSICS
2. General description, technical data
In 1850, Frenchman Jean Bernard Leon Foucault demon-
strated the rotation of the earth for the first time with the
help of a pendulum. To do so, he used a pendulum with
a weight of 28 kg and a length of 67 m. The ELWE Foucault
pendulum is a compact apparatus which maintains the
amplitude of the pendulum by constant excitation. A
Charron ring (see Fig. 2) prevents any elliptical motion. By
virtue of this, long-term measurements are possible. A
measuring device consisting of an angle scale divided
into minutes (Fig. 1) enables quick and precise measure-
ments. The housing permits clear visibility from all sides
and allows several observers to simultaneously observe
the change in the direction of oscillation. The apparatus
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