Pendulum with Varying Length or How to Improve Your Next Swing Ride
Pendulum with Varying Length or How to Improve Your Next Swing Ride
Moving up and down on the seat of the swing influences its motion. This Demonstration simulates a swing as a child crouches down and straightens up from the seat in an oscillating manner, thus mimicking a pendulum with cyclically varying length.
Remember from childhood that to make a swing move higher and higher, you must alternate between crouching and straightening up. The best result is obtained when this is done with a period that is approximately half the period of the swing.
Using the sliders and looking at the curves, you can get ever-increasing swing length, a gracefully periodic motion, or a chaotic movement. Have fun!