Schuler pendulum

noun

Any pendulum having a period equal to that of a hypothetical pendulum whose length is equal to the Earth's radius (84.4 minutes); its arm will remain locally vertical when the pivot is moved and is therefore the basis of navigational instruments

Meanings

nounSchuler pendulum (plural Schuler pendulums)

plural Schuler pendulums

  1. natural sciencesAny pendulum having a period equal to that of a hypothetical pendulum whose length is equal to the Earth's radius (84.4 minutes); its arm will remain locally vertical when the pivot is moved and is therefore the basis of navigational instruments

Origin

From Max Schuler, German physicist.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Schuler pendulum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schuler%20pendulum

MLA

“Schuler pendulum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schuler%20pendulum. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Schuler pendulum,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schuler%20pendulum.

Source: Schuler pendulum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.