Variable length pendulum analyzed by a comparative Fourier and wavelet approach

M T Caccamo , S Magazù (1, 2, 3)

1 CBM - Centre de biophysique moléculaire
2 Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France
3 University of Messina

The motion of a pendulum with a variable length is analyzed by means of a comparative Fourier and Wavelet approach. In particular Fourier and continuous Wavelet transforms have been jointly employed to investigate the non stationary signal of a variable length pendulum in an easy-to-interpret scenario addressed to undergraduate and graduate students. The comparison between the two data analysis protocols allows to easily show that while the Fourier transform is able to extract only an average frequency value for the variable length pendulum motion, Wavelet analysis furnishes information on the time behaviour of the motion spectral content, i.e. provides a joint time-frequency analysis.

Mots clés: Variable length pendulum; Fourier transform; wavelet transform PACS: 0140Fk; 0150pa; 0230Nw

Domaines: Physique [physics]; Mathématiques [math]

M T Caccamo, S Magazù. Variable length pendulum analyzed by a comparative Fourier and wavelet approach. EDUCATION Revista Mexicana de Física E, 2018, 64, pp.81 - 86. ⟨hal-02538577⟩