It was at University that Galileo really started to get into the swing of things and he began to experiment with pendulums. It is believed that some years later Galileo noticed a lamp swinging from the ceiling inside Pisa Cathedral, which got him thinking… Galileo wondered what determines how fast a pendulum swings. Is it the length of the string, the weight of what is attached or the size of the swing? TRY! Attach a piece of plasticine to the end of a 10cm piece of string. Use sticky tape to fix the string to the edge of a table. Ask a friend to start the swing by holding the plasticine horizontally. When your friend lets go, record how long it takes to make eight swings with a stopwatch (or a clock with a second-hand). Ask your friend to start the swing at a lower position. Time eight swings. What happens now? Try several different positions. Now use different sized plasticine balls. Lastly use different lengths of string. WHAT HAPPENS? You should notice that your friend is completely under your power. He or she will obey your every command! Ask them to act like a gorilla… NO, SERIOUSLY! Galileo discovered that the rate at which a pendulum swings depends on its length rather the distance through which it swings or the weight of what is attached. This discovery later led to the development of pendulum clocks. LOOK TO THE STARS… Galileo’s most famous invention was the telescope. He heard that a telescope had been invented in Holland that could magnify objects three times bigger. He decided to make one too, but the telescope Galileo made could magnify objects twenty times bigger. With this telescope he saw mountains on the Moon, he discovered the satellites of Jupiter and discovered that the Milky Way was made up of thousands of tiny stars. One of his discoveries got him into trouble with the Catholic Church… The Catholic Church firmly believes that the Sun and all other planets revolve around the Earth. But it has come to our attention that Galileo Galilei claims that the Earth and all the planets travel around the Sun. He is to be put under House Arrest and will not be allowed to leave his home for the rest of his life. He will not be allowed to publish any more of his silly ideas. Of course, his discovery was true. After Galileo’s death in 1642, his students continued his work by publishing his ideas and beliefs. Galileo was finally pardoned by the Catholic Church 342 years later.
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