Duff Campbell - USMA at West Point
Pendulum Motion in Two Dimensions: the Math Dimension and the Physics Dimension
This semester we are trying to integrate our multi-variable calculus course with introductory physics: at West Point, all sophomores take multi-variable calculus as well as a year of physics. One of our lab projects is about pendulum motion: the cadets analyzed pendulum motion from a mathematical point of view and derived an expression for the period of a pendulum, then designed and implemented a lab where their measurements of pendulum motion led to an approximation of g, the acceleration due to gravity. I will present the mathematics and the physics involved, as well as the conclusions drawn from the lab data.
Audience:
This talk will be accessible to anyone with a knowledge of first-year calculus; knowledge of some multi-variable calculus (cross product, total differential), linear regression, and differential equations is encouraged but not mandatory. The physics needed will be presented from scratch.
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