Photo: Steininger

Foucaultsches Pendel

St. Ruprecht an der Raab, Styria

Name: Foucault's Pendulum Idea and project management: Mag. Norbert Lipp, MAS, MBA Scientific and technical management: AO. Uni.-Prof DI. Dr. Peter Dietmaier Electronics: DI Marcus Lang Design of the pendulum floor: Hans Jandl Technical Information The St. Ruprecht pendulum, with a length of 6.5 meters and a sphere with a mass of 32 kilograms, is set up at a northern latitude of 47 degrees 9 minutes and 6 seconds. Mathematically, the plane of oscillation relative to the Earth's surface repeatedly assumes the same position at periodic intervals of approximately 32 hours and 40 minutes. The plane of oscillation of the pendulum therefore rotates by 264 degrees in one day, or approximately 11 degrees in one hour, relative to the Earth's surface. A ring of 260 light-emitting diodes is used to display the rotation of the pendulum plane. Every approximately 5 1/2 minutes and 30 seconds, another light-emitting diode switches on, indicating that the pendulum has rotated by 1 degree. After one day, a band of light consisting of 264 light-emitting diodes should have formed. Every day at midnight, this band of light is extinguished to rebuild itself anew. The design of the circular plate under the pendulum was undertaken by the East Styrian artist Hans Jandl. The inscription reads: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Man recognizes time, and time is the number, and the number is with power, and the number is power.” Sammeltaxi Oststeiermark SAM WZ1872, reservation at +43 50 36 37 38 or ISTmobil.at