Instability of a constrained pendulum system.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Ramachandran, Prashanth; Krishna, Srinivas Gopal; Ram, Y. M.
- Source
- American Journal of Physics. Apr2011, Vol. 79 Issue 4, p395-400. 6p.
- Subject
- *PENDULUMS
*CONSTRAINED optimization
*CONSTRAINTS (Physics)
*STABILITY (Mechanics)
*LINEAR statistical models
*PERTURBATION theory
*QUANTUM perturbations
- Language
- ISSN
- 0002-9505
Linear perturbation analysis is used to determine the natural frequency of two pendulums connected by a rod. The analysis indicates a zone of instability in what looks like a stable system. The paradoxical phenomenon is explained, and a simple experiment confirms the instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]