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Glite Dictionary
compound pendulum

compound pendulum

7.4
A stiff object that swings back and forth from a horizontal support that is not at its middle point
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒmpaʊnd ˈpɛndjʊləm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : péndulo compuesto
  • The behavior of a compound pendulum changes when the axis of rotation is positioned away from its center of mass.

Examples

  • OK, the compound pendulum we're going to do is far more complicated and would boggle the mind of anybody trying to use F equals MA.

  • A compound pendulum can oscillate about an axis that is not aligned with its center of mass.

  • In physics experiments, we often use a compound pendulum to demonstrate complex motion.

Synonyms

physical pendulum
vscompound pendulum
  • Specialized
7.7

A solid object that swings around a fixed horizontal axis that is not through its middle

is an alternative name for the exact same swinging rigid-body device

Surface Forms

compound pendulum singular
compound pendulums plural

Morphology

compound + pendulum

The meaning is directly compositional: 'compound' = composed of several parts and 'pendulum' = a swinging weight, so together they denote a pendulum made of multiple parts. This modifier+noun pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Compound pendulum The noun compound pendulum names a pendulum made from a whole object, where compound means 'made of parts' and pendulum is something that 'swings', and the hanging point is not through the object's middle. Imagine a rod or shape hanging from one point like a door on a hinge, and parts that are far from the hanging point change the time it takes to 'swing'. That's why the term means a pendulum whose motion and the time it takes to swing depend on the object's shape and how its mass is spread.