Introduction: 2 Dollar Zen Pendulum
A zen pendulum made out of simple materials
1.wooden bowl
2.coat hanger
3.sand
4.crystal with a point or metal cone with a point.
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15 Comments
10 years ago on Introduction
I love this! I bet you could use sugar instead of sand. (If you don't have to worry about ants or other bugs.)
Did you drill a hole in the bowl & stick the hanger in it?
13 years ago on Introduction
Finished!
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
I went back and made a pivot like yours and it does swing better i`ll post pics of it soon.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
How well does it swing it?
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
pretty well, i redid it just now though. more of the way frollard was sayin
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
if you like the candles, the ible is....
www.instructables.com/id/Cookey-Candles/
13 years ago on Introduction
The zen pendulum requires one modification (to function like a proper one) - it needs the double pivot up top to bring one axis of movement's center up to the pivot point, and another just below it - this results in cooler patterns than 'just spirals'.
see...
I'm not saying you did it wrong, but a simple modification makes this a 2-dollar AWESOME pendulum :D
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Can you elaborate on this?
From what I understand you need a pivot on the top of the branch thingy, and then a loop, a ring, and another loop attached to the actual mass at the bottom. What should that pivot on top look like?
I really want to be able to build one of these the right way
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Look at the picture in my link - note how it has a 'reverse fork' that holds up the upper part, then the double ring attaches to that. Whatever it does, it makes the pattern go from 'just spirals' to 'intricate triangles'
Look closely at the top - its not just a quicklink to a stationary point.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
edit: Only reason I know is I made one back in high school - took forever to get it right, then I noticed it had the wrong pivot. Quick bend some metal, and bam, perfect results.
13 years ago on Introduction
also, the official name of this is "The Sandpendel"
13 years ago on Introduction
Could you explain how it works?
L
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
(www.thinkgeek.com)
The conical pendulum, or a free swinging weight on a line anchored on a hook, has been studied for centuries. Watching its circular movements have brought greater understanding to the movements of the planets and the theory of gravity. A French physicist created a conical pendulum so large, once it was set in motion, it moved through 360 degrees of motion in 24 hours creating a timepiece accurate to within a few seconds per day. Unlike normal pendulums, like you find in grandfather clocks, two external forces are operating on the pendulum: the downward action of gravity acts upon the mass of the pendulum, and the tension on the line between the mass and the anchor point. It is the interplay between these two forces that, primarily, describe the patterns in which the mass moves. It's a beautiful dance, but it's difficult to see just how elegant and complex the movement is until you find a way to see the movement in context. By sharpening the mass to a point and having it describe its path through a shallow dish of sand, you can see the track the pendulum takes on its regular rhythmic cycle. Back and forth, to and fro, the pendulum swings into gorgeous elliptical loops and whorls. This chrome Pit and Pendulum, while not as sinister as the version Poe wrote about, belongs on your desk, creating art out of science - beauty out of mathematics.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
I'll phrase the question differently: Seeing a line traced in the sand, what is the significance of the mineral that is the pendulum, and the other three mineral pieces?
L
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
its orange because it would not let me paste otherwise....