Foucault's pendulum

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Foucault's pendulum

(foo-kohz ) A simple pendulum that demonstrates the rotation of the Earth, first shown by J.B.L. Foucault in 1851. It consists of a massive metal ball that is suspended by a long wire and can swing freely with a minimum amount of friction. The pendulum swings steadily, tracing a straight line on the floor beneath it. The plane in which it swings, however, is observed to rotate during the day as a result of the Earth's rotation. The period of rotation of the plane depends on the latitude of the place: at the poles the plane would appear to move through a complete circle in one sidereal day (23h 56m 4s) while on the equator it would not rotate at all. The pendulum is in fact swinging in a plane that is fixed relative to the stars.

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References in periodicals archive ?

The HRG Crystal gyro is based on the principles behind Foucault's pendulum and resonance; it could be compared to making a crystal wine glass "sing".

France : Safrans HRG Crystal and Onyx: a revolution in high-performance naval inertial reference systems

NON-FICTION CHRONICLES OF A LIQUID SOCIETY by Umberto Eco, Harvill Secker, PS18.99 (ebook PS9.99) HHHH H CELEBRATED novelist and essayist Umberto Eco, best known for his historical thriller The Name Of The Rose and his satirical conspiracy tale Foucault's Pendulum, died last year.

REVIEWS

WONDERFULly readable with an engaging plot that's witty and NON-FICTION CHRONICLES OF A LIQUID SOCIETY by Umberto Eco, Harvill Secker, PS18.99 (ebook PS9.99) HHHH H CELEBRATED novelist and essayist Umberto Eco, best known for his historical thriller The Name Of The Rose and his satirical conspiracy tale Foucault's Pendulum, died last year.

REVIEWS

The author of The Name of the Rose, Foucault's Pendulum, and, most recently, Numero zero, as well as many other novels, academic studies and essay collections, passed away on February 19, 2016 at his home in Milan.

From the editor

The work expresses imagery of the cosmos including circular configurations like planetary orbits, exploding forms that resemble star nurseries and nebula, the mandalas as astronomical maps, and metal spherical counterweights are suspended like planets but also resembling Foucault's pendulum. For Pfaff, the universe is both breathtaking in concept and chaotic in specific events.

New Site-Specific Judy Pfaff Installation, "Somewhere After"

His other major and internationally recognized novels are, Foucault's Pendulum (Il pendolo di Foucault), The Island of the Day Before ( L'isola del giorno prima), and The Prague Cemetery ( Il cimitero di Praga).

Long Live

His other books included Foucault's Pendulum, The Prague Cemetery and The Island Of The Day Before.

Name Of The Rose writer dies; SUNDAY SHORTS

Eco, who also wrote the novel Foucault's Pendulum, continued to publish new works with Numero Zero released last year.

TRIBUTES AS WRITER ECO DIES

Eco, who continued his academic work late in life, continued his literary success with Foucault's Pendulum (1988) about the lost treasure of a sect called the Knights Templar, The Island of the Day Before (1994), Baudolino (2000) and The Prague Cemetery (2010), a novel about the rise of modern anti-Semitism.

Umberto Eco: from philosophy to best-sellers

His other novels included: Foucault's Pendulum" (1988) about the lost treasure of a sect called the Knights Templar, "The Island of the Day Before" (1994), "Baudolino" (2000) and "The Prague Cemetery" (2010), a novel about the rise of modern anti-Semitism.

Umberto Eco, semiologist, polyglot and renowned novelist is dead at 84

His second novel, ""Foucault's Pendulum," was less successful internationally but still highly acclaimed.

Umberto Eco, Italian author of 'The Name of the Rose,' dies at 84

His second novel, "Foucault's Pendulum," was less successful internationally but still highly acclaimed.