In which year did Galileo describe the regular, swinging motion of a pendulum by the action of gravity and acquired momentum?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. 1602.
- Galileo Galilei described the regular, swinging motion of a pendulum around 1602. His observations laid the foundation for understanding how a pendulum functions under gravity and momentum.
- Galileo reportedly observed a swinging chandelier in the Cathedral of Pisa and noticed the consistent timing of its swings, regardless of the amplitude, leading him to hypothesize the principle of isochronism in pendulums. He conducted experiments and determined that the period of a pendulum depends mainly on its length and not the weight or amplitude of the swing for small angles.
- Galileo formally wrote about pendulums much later in his work "Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences" (1638).