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THERMAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Thermal Expansion

Thermal Conductivity

Pair of Compound Pendulums: Chaos

A characteristic of chaos is extreme sensitivity to initial conditions. This is illustrated by the pair of compound pendulums, shown in the photo above. When released with small amplitude, the compound pendulum executes essentially periodic motion. If two identical pendulums are released together with the same small amplitude, their motions remain similar for many oscillations. When released with large amplitude (“elbow” joints raised above 90 degrees) the pendulums quickly become out of phase, and each pendulum undergoes complicated oscillations which is dramatically different from the other.

Pair of Compound Pendulums:  Chaos