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What is Foucault's Pendulum? Explain its relations with Coriolis Effect. (250 Words)
 
Introduction
 
Start your answer by writing about Foucault's Pendulum
Foucault's pendulum is a simple experiment that demonstrates the rotation of the Earth. It was first performed by French physicist Jean Foucault in 1851.

The pendulum consists of a heavy weight suspended from a long, thin wire. The pendulum is initially set swinging in a vertical plane. As the pendulum swings, the Earth rotates beneath it. This causes the plane of the pendulum's swing to appear to rotate slowly, completing one full rotation in about 24 hours.

Body
 
Write the body of your answer addressing the relations between Foucault's pendulum and the Coriolis effect
 
The rotation of Foucault's pendulum is a result of the Coriolis effect, which is a phenomenon caused by the Earth's rotation. The Coriolis effect is an apparent deflection of the path of a moving object when viewed from a rotating reference frame. In the case of Foucault's Pendulum, the Earth's rotation acts as the rotating reference frame.

As the pendulum swings back and forth, it maintains its plane of oscillation, which is fixed in space. However, the Earth rotates underneath it, causing the observer on the Earth to perceive the plane of oscillation as rotating. This rotation occurs because different parts of the Earth's surface are moving at different speeds due to the Earth's rotation.

Conclusion
 
Your conclusions should be balanced, simple and short.
Foucault's Pendulum serves as a visual and tangible demonstration of the Earth's rotation and the Coriolis effect. It provides evidence that the Earth is indeed rotating, and the apparent rotation of the pendulum plane is a consequence of this rotation. This experiment has played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of Earth's rotation and its effects on objects in motion.
07-Jun 2023
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