How pendulum studies can promote knowledge of the nature of science

Abstract

This paper mentions the extent to which contemporary science curricula include knowledge of the nature of science as a goal of science instruction; it outlines the crucial role played by the pendulum in the achievements of the scientific revolution and documents how little these achievements are included in standard textbooks; it describes a number of classroom pendular experiments and activities that reproduce some of the main 17th centuary experiments and indicates how students can relive the original scientific, procedural and methodological debates; finally the paper suggests ways in which the pendulum can be used in cross-disciplinary teaching thus giving students a more authentic understanding of the way that science has developed in conjunction with mathematics, music, religion and commerce. © 2001 Plenum Publishing Corporation.