Pendulums in Grandfather Clocks
Weight driven grandfather clocks are powered by two or three weights which are regulated by the swing of the pendulum. The pendulum will swing every 2 seconds for most grandfather clocks. Standard-sized clocks have pendulums swinging every second while small clock pendulums swing at half-second intervals. The main weight that powers the clock is attached to a drum or gear that also turns the second hand of the clock. A pendulum with the proper length is then attached to the drum and weight system. The pendulum’s most important property is its length. Most people would probably say that the mass or weight of the pendulum is more important than length, but that isn’t the case.
Last modified June 20, 2008Author 296 > has blogged 98 times
