The Foucault pendulum ( /fuːˈkoʊ/ foo-KOH), or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the first simple proof of the rotation in an easy-to-see experiment. Today, Foucault pendulums are popular displays in science museums and universities.
Read more about Foucault Pendulum: Original Foucault Pendulum, Explanation of Mechanics, Precession As A Form of Parallel Transport, Related Physical Systems, Foucault Pendulums Around The World
Famous quotes containing the words foucault and/or pendulum:
“Prison continues, on those who are entrusted to it, a work begun elsewhere, which the whole of society pursues on each individual through innumerable mechanisms of discipline.”
—Michel Foucault (1926–1984)
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—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877–?)