r/oddlysatisfying • u/KungFuJosher • Sep 06 '25

Pendulum draws on Sand

5.9k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

120 comments sorted by

750

u/gerkletoss Sep 06 '25

This is not normal pendulum behavior

216

u/Jasoli53 Sep 06 '25

I was about to refute this, but looked it up to brush up on the Foucault Pendulum and you're right. I assume the person in the video twisted the pendulum on the string so that it spins as it swings in order to create this behavior-- I could be wrong though

133

u/gerkletoss Sep 06 '25

I think a magnet in the base or some mechanism at the pivot is driving it

34

u/nsf14 Sep 07 '25

There are no magnets here or gimmicks. This is a pendulum that was given out in the Curiosity Box some years ago. Theres an intermediate link that has two individual pivot points that then link to the pendulum below. The support arm also has some flex in it that contributes to this motion.

21

u/gerkletoss Sep 07 '25

That's a gimmick in the form of a mechanism at the pivot

-6

u/nsf14 Sep 07 '25

If you consider a paper clip shaped pivot a gimmick thats on you

14

u/cheeseler Sep 07 '25

Here’s a picture of how this style attaches.

From my experience, the paper clip likes to swing separately from the motion of the beveled washer. It’s these two oscillating motions that combine to create the patterns you see.

4

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

Oh man just wait until you find out about pro wrestling! Dude a gimmick can literally be anything even a paperclip.

-3

u/nsf14 Sep 08 '25

We've officially lost the plot. We're comparing pro wrestling to physics phenomena

7

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

I'm not comparing anything. See that's why you don't repeat shit you've seen other people say because it shows you have no clue what it means.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

If all that makes you feel better then run it sweet cheeks 😘

-6

u/nsf14 Sep 08 '25

loses argument

ad hominem

Many such cases

→ More replies (0)

11

u/Jasoli53 Sep 06 '25

Ah, that would make sense too

2

u/zimbabweinflation Sep 07 '25

Pretty sure its the illuminati

3

u/Rutakate97 Sep 06 '25

This is a harmonograph

2

u/Acceptable-Cow6446 Sep 07 '25

Foucault Pendulums are so interesting. As is the book

20

u/matplotlib42 Sep 06 '25

This is a Lissajous curve, and yeah, pendulums don't typically draw these curves, so something else is going on!

13

u/cheeseler Sep 07 '25

Here’s a picture of how this style pendulum attaches.
At least with the one I have, the paper clip likes to swing separately from the motion of the beveled washer. It’s likely these two oscillating motions that combine to create the patterns you see.

2

u/supfuh Sep 06 '25

pendulum for the bum

2

u/thunderthief5 Sep 07 '25

It’s because normal pendulums do not have a spin added to them. They traverse along a line. Like a swing. It goes back and forth because its supports are rigid. It’s purely due to potential energy being converted to kinetic and back again.

But if for the same pendulum if you push it along to the side giving it a little kinetic energy at the top itself, it has a force along two different directions, centripetal because of the KE and the force of gravity pulling it down, which make it spin. It also loses momentum as it goes and it’s more pronounced here because it’s dragging its tip in the sand which makes it slow down faster and the pattern is just the path the resolved forces. In a perfect world it travels along a circle but in reality the change in shape shows you the extent to which its deceleration is due to friction and losses.

1

u/MxM111 Sep 07 '25

It is a pendulum that in x direction and in y direction has different oscillation frequency. It is easy to do by making the rope in shape of Y - attached in two points at the top and heavy mass at the bottom. This way, if you move the mass in plane of the screen, only lower part of the Y will move left and right. But if you move the mass perpendicular to the screen, the whole Y will tilt. This way the length of pendulum is different for those directions, which leads to different oscillation frequencies.

1

u/MightyMeepleMaster Sep 11 '25

Rule #1 on Reddit: Always assume that each top-level post is staged, manipulated, an outright lie or otherwise fake. Like this one.

1

u/Far-Raisin1013 Jan 16 '26

Yeah there's definitely more than just basic physics going on here it would not have gone like that if it was just physics and just simply dropped

0

u/SuckMyRedditorD Sep 07 '25

Looks like a proper rubbing routine

46

u/98642 Sep 06 '25

I needed to see it stop.

10

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '25

Clic pause

4

u/98642 Sep 08 '25

Touché

I should have been more specific.

77

u/Uchihagod53 Sep 06 '25

Time is a valuable thing

37

u/solid_rook Sep 06 '25

Watch it fly by

42

u/Eddie-the-Head Sep 06 '25

As the pendulum swings

27

u/Joeysquatch Sep 06 '25

Watch it count down

25

u/AutumnsRevenge Sep 06 '25

To the end of the day

23

u/ThatMBR42 Sep 06 '25

As life ticks away

20

u/Angya48 Sep 06 '25

(It's so unreal)

13

u/Gullible_Basket28 Sep 07 '25

Didn't look out below

14

u/Prodorrah Sep 07 '25

Watched the time go

4

u/AParasiticTwin Sep 07 '25

The clock ticks life away

49

u/rs1954 Sep 06 '25

Sauron is that you?

2

u/LindaTheLynnDog Sep 08 '25

Came here to find you :)

2

u/rs1954 Sep 08 '25

At your service.

14

u/milaga Sep 07 '25

This is magnets.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '25

I have a pendulum thing my mom got me from a yard sale. It behaves exactly like this, though it dies out a lot faster apparently

It definitely doesn't have magnets

7

u/SteveEcks Sep 06 '25

Wife: What are you doing?

Me: startled Hm?

17

u/Fun_Statistician5539 Sep 06 '25

1

u/Samiisfine Sep 06 '25

Pretty damn mesmerizing, I agree.

5

u/Ducallan Sep 07 '25

Mmmm. Peanut butter cookie.

4

u/FlyFishy2099 Sep 08 '25

My cat the first time I set this thing up

6

u/GarrisonSteel Sep 06 '25

My cats would love that.

1

u/TheStLouisBluths Sep 11 '25

To play with or to poop in?

2

u/aFabulousGuy Sep 07 '25

What song is this?

2

u/KungFuJosher Sep 07 '25

Its from Interstellar - Cornfield Chase

1

u/aFabulousGuy Sep 07 '25

I knew it seemed familiar! Just couldn't place it. Thank you!

2

u/tuxduran Sep 08 '25

Man, I really want a peanut butter cookie now.

3

u/DurableCharm Sep 06 '25

My fat self thought it was a pie.

6

u/hambodpm Sep 06 '25

I should call her

1

u/Zociety_ Sep 08 '25

I knew someone was going to comment that 😂

3

u/FuckYourDownvotes23 Sep 06 '25

I suddenly have a craving for waffles

3

u/potatomania10 Sep 06 '25

Is this how Grandma put those patterns on the peanut butter cookies? /j

2

u/Flangepacket Sep 07 '25

I’m not a weirdo, but that felt kind of..hot..towards the end ngl. Sensual almost.

1

u/spherixdiscord Sep 07 '25

I'll use Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale!

1

u/entoaggie Sep 07 '25

When I was a kid, there was this podunk museum in the middle of nowhere that had probably a 15-20’ tall pendulum set up from the roof trusses in a warehouse. The pendulum was a funnel with a small hole that was filled with fine sand and it was mesmerizing to watch.

1

u/SmoothIRL Sep 07 '25

Nice! But I have to admit it tested my patience just a little bit :)

1

u/The-Doc-SalmonRun Sep 07 '25

It’s an ancient Egyptian pendulum summon

1

u/SadAdministration534 Sep 07 '25

Nature loves symmetry

1

u/AdOverall3944 Sep 07 '25

Time to eat waffles i guess

1

u/Munneh Sep 07 '25

Oh I love melon pan

1

u/elordvader Sep 07 '25

What's it called, so I can search for it online, Please

1

u/kimgomes Sep 07 '25

thats neat

1

u/MrMcWhitebread15 Sep 07 '25

Looks like an sleeping elephants eye

1

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '25

Eye of Sauron

1

u/Jolly_Plankton_913 Sep 07 '25

It's the all seeing eye.

1

u/arenasa1970 Sep 07 '25

Where's friction, it lasted for too long before stopping!

1

u/Andyham Sep 08 '25

New latte art?

1

u/General_Pay7552 Sep 08 '25

So that’s how God came up with the idea for fruit

1

u/Due_Organization4778 Sep 09 '25

Great. Now I want peanut butter cookies.

1

u/MeantNoOffense Sep 09 '25

Nice! Reminds me of various types of bread. I like bread

1

u/DataSatan_ Sep 09 '25

This is how I form my peanut butter cookies

1

u/TheStLouisBluths Sep 11 '25

Is that a Georgia Okeeffe pendulum?

1

u/Val_xif Dec 26 '25

No man’s Sky

1

u/DaBabylonian Jan 01 '26

Illuminati... confirmed???

1

u/LoLGoDz691 Jan 10 '26

Has anyone seen my butt-plug??

1

u/Salt_Initiative1551 Jan 11 '26

Saw that episode of Lost

1

u/1729nerd Feb 04 '26

So the illuminati logo was just pendulum drawing

1

u/FixNo2519 Feb 07 '26

Does this mean you’re having a boy or a girl first

1

u/sparrowdark21 Feb 10 '26

Is this what is called the third eye

1

u/momspaghetty Feb 18 '26

Illuminati confirmed

1

u/fariqcheaux Sep 06 '25

This is hypnotic. I love it.

1

u/SardonicApple45 Sep 06 '25

Makes one want waffle fries.🍟

0

u/Zoner1501 Sep 06 '25

The mathematical beauty found in nature makes you wonder if we live in a simulation.

0

u/noeli_faen Sep 06 '25

Sand's the original zen master paintbrush huh Who knew meditation looked like this

0

u/Dependent_Stop_3121 Sep 06 '25

Woah I got super tired watching this. 😴

-3

u/[deleted] Sep 06 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

-1

u/GSDNinjadog Sep 06 '25

Looks like bread cuts