Remote Experiments as Virtual Labs? Examples with Pendulum

The contribution presents the technology and examples of real remote and virtual experiments that contain pendulum. This experiment topic has played an important role in the history of time measurement and understanding gravity, therefore it is still included in school curricula and lab assignments. We present a new real remotely controlled physics experiment that is available at any time, from anywhere, and for everyone and that can be linked with virtual experiments (simulations). The real remote experiment technology is based on our universal "iSES Remote Lab SDK" platform as well as other 18 remote labs available online. This SDK, which is used for easy creation of new remote experiments even by non-programmers, is also described. In the introduction, we recall first PC-aided experiments with pendulum, their features, technology, and outcomes. Then we describe our new real remote experiment. It offers opportunity for an experimental study of several dependencies between experimental parameters like period vs. deflection or period vs. length, with a goal to determine the experimental value of local gravity acceleration g. Our real remote labs may be accessed with common web browsers, they feature live video of the experimental setup and a possibility to record and download own experimental data for further processing with dedicated software. Furthermore, first outcomes of the WorldPendulum (WP@ELAB) Project are discussed. The project aims to create and publish 20 identical online pendulum remote experiments worldwide in order to study the dependence of the gravity value g on latitude.