The Pendulum: Scientific, Historical, Philosophical and Educational Perspectives

Front Cover
Michael R. Matthews, Colin F. Gauld, Arthur Stinner
Springer Science & Business Media, 2005 M10 13 - 542 pages

The pendulum is a universal topic in primary and secondary schools, but its full potential for learning about physics, the nature of science, and the relationships between science, mathematics, technology, society and culture is seldom realised.

Contributions to this 32-chapter anthology deal with the science, history, methodology and pedagogy of pendulum motion. There is ample material for the richer and more cross-disciplinary treatment of the pendulum from elementary school to high school, and through to advanced university classes.

Scientists will value the studies on the physics of the pendulum; historians will appreciate the detailed treatment of Galileo, Huygens, Newton and Foucault’s pendulum investigations; psychologists and educators will learn from the papers on Piaget; teachers will welcome the many contributions to pendulum pedagogy.

All readers will come away with a new awareness of the importance of the pendulum in the foundation and development of modern science; and for its centrality in so many facets of society and culture.

 

Contents

Introduction
1
Scientific Perspectives
19
A Paradigm for the Linear
37
KLAUS WELTNER ANTONIO SERGIO C ESPERIDIÃO
49
CÉSAR MEDINA SANDRA VELAZCO and JULIA SALINAS
67
PETERS Soupcan Pendulum
77
NORMAN PHILLIPS What Makes the Foucault Pendulum Move
89
Historical Perspectives
99
ROBERT NOLA Pendula Models Constructivism and Reality
237
LOUIS B ROSENBLATTThe Poet and the Pendulum
267
DENNIS LOMAS Degree of Influence on Perception of Belief
293
ERIN STAFFORD What the Pendulum Can Tell Educators about
315
PAUL ZACHOS Pendulum Phenomena and the Assessment of Sci
349
YONGJU KWON JINSU JEONG and YUNBOK PARK Roles
363
ROBERT J WHITAKER Types of TwoDimensional Pendulums
377
MARIANNE BARNES JAMES GARNER and DAVID REID
393

COLIN GAULD The Treatment of Cycloidal Pendulum Motion
115
ZVI BIENER and CHRIS SMEENK Pendulums Pedagogy
127
COLIN GAULDThe Treatment of the Motion of a Simple Pendulum
139
His Life Times and Achievements
171
FABIO BEVILACQUA LIDIA FALOMO LUCIO FREGONESE
185
Philosophical Perspectives
209
CATHY MARIOTTI EZRAILSON G DONALD ALLEN
413
IGAL GALILI and DAVID SELA Pendulum Activities in the Israeli
435
DIMITRIS KOLIOPOULOS and COSTAS CONSTANTINOU
449
MICHAEL FOWLER Using Excel to Simulate Pendulum Motion
485
Name Index
527
Copyright

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About the author (2005)

Michael Matthews is an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales. He has degrees in science, philosophy, psychology, history and philosophy of science, and education. He publishes in the fields of science education, history and philosophy of science, and philosophy of education. He is the author of five books, the editor of six anthologies, and the Foundation Editor of the journal Science & Education.

 

Colin Gauld is a Visiting Fellow at the University of New South Wales. After taking a PhD in physics, he taught high school physics, lectured in physics education, and was senior examiner of physics in the state of New South Wales. He researches the role of history and philosophy of science in science teaching, and the relationship between religion and science.

 

Arthur Stinner is a professor of science education in the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba. He holds undergraduate degrees in physics, modern languages and education, an MSc in physics, and a PhD in science education. His research interests are focused on relating the history and philosophy of science to science teaching, and the development of large context problems in physics.

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