Pendulum
/ˈpɛndʒələm/
nounB2
Definition
A pendulum is an object, usually a weight, that hangs from a fixed point and moves freely back and forth in a regular way. It is often used in clocks to keep time or in science to show how things move in a swinging motion.
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See It in Action
A weight hung from a fixed point that swings back and forth
- •The pendulum in the old clock swings steadily to keep time.
- •Scientists use a pendulum to study motion and gravity.
- •The pendulum's movement is smooth and regular.
A situation or feeling that moves back and forth between two states or ideas (used metaphorically)
- •Public opinion is like a pendulum, swinging between support and opposition.
- •Her mood was a pendulum, shifting from happy to sad quickly.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "pendulum" like a "swing," but instead of going high or low, it moves side to side in a smooth, regular path.
- ✓Picture a small ball hanging on a string, moving slowly from left to right and back again.
- ✓It's the feeling when you watch a clock's hand move steadily and calmly, helping you feel time passing.
- ✓Sounds like "PEN-duh-lum" → imagine a pen swinging gently like a lamp swinging in the wind.
- ✓In stories or movies, a pendulum can create tension by slowly moving, showing time running out or a decision coming.
- ✓NOT like a "wheel" that spins all the way around; a pendulum swings only back and forth.
- ✓NOT like "vibrate," which is very fast and small movement; a pendulum moves slowly and clearly.
- ✓NOT like "clock hand," which moves in a circle; a pendulum moves in a straight arc.
Try Other Words
- •Swing: back-and-forth movement (Use when talking about casual or playful movement)
- •Oscillator: something that moves regularly back and forth (Use in scientific or technical contexts)
- •Weight: the object that hangs and moves (Use when focusing on the object itself, not the motion)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "pend-" (from Latin pendere, meaning "to hang") + "-ulum" (a suffix used to form nouns)
- •Etymology: From Latin pendulum, meaning "something that hangs"
- •Historical development: The word was first used in English in the 17th century, especially in connection with clocks and scientific instruments
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for the swinging weight in clocks and science experiments; also used metaphorically for things that move back and forth between two states
Reflect & Connect
•How can the idea of a pendulum help you understand changes in your own feelings or decisions?
•In what ways do you see "pendulum" used as a metaphor in everyday life or stories?
Fill in the blanks
1.The pendulum swings ___ from side to side to keep the clock running ___.
2.When the pendulum moves faster, the clock ___ time more quickly.
3.Unlike a wheel, a pendulum moves only ___ and ___, not all the way around.
4.People say opinions can be like a pendulum, swinging ___ between two points.
5.The scientist used a pendulum to ___ how gravity affects movement.
6.The steady ___ of the pendulum helped calm her nerves during the long wait.
7.A pendulum's motion is regular and ___, unlike random shaking or vibration.