Resonant Pendulum

 

The Resonant Pendulum introduces periodic motion through an exciting teamwork format. A large metal cylinder is suspended in the center of a circular enclosure. Visitors are challenged to swing the pendulum using ropes tipped with small magnets. The visitors toss the magnets toward the cylinder until they stick, then pull on the ropes to get the cylinder moving. Visitors discover through trial and error that they must pull in time with the pendulum's period to affect its movement or the magnets will pop off. Once they master the timing, visitors can coordinate small moves to make big changes in the pendulum's swing.