Lubango: The Higher Institute of Educational Sciences of Huíla (ISCED-Huíla) has joined the global network for the study of gravity, with the installation of a physical pendulum during the VI Conference of Physicists from Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) held in Lubango. This initiative strengthens international scientific cooperation and positions the Angolan institution within a global circuit of laboratory experiments dedicated to measuring the acceleration due to gravity at different points on the planet. According to Angola Press News Agency, the equipment was installed as part of a project promoted by the Association of Physicists of the CPLP, which focuses on experimental physics teaching and the use of instruments that bring students closer to fundamental scientific phenomena. The physical pendulum allows the determination of the acceleration due to gravity from the oscillatory motion of a suspended mass, whose period varies according to the physical characteristics of the location where the expe riment is performed. In statements to ANGOP, the founding member of the Union of Physicists of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, Horácio Fernandes, explained that the system demonstrates that gravity is not uniform on Earth, presenting variations associated with latitude and other geophysical factors. According to the expert, the equipment allows for highly precise measurements, enabling the comparison of scientific data between different regions of the world. With the installation in Lubango, ISCED-Huíla becomes part of the World Pendulum Alliance, an international network of educational and research institutions that uses interconnected physical pendulums for remote scientific experiments. The platform allows for remote laboratory experiments, enabling students and researchers to take measurements, analyze results, and compare the acceleration of gravity in different countries. The collaboration contributes to the creation of a global physics laboratory, promoting new teaching methodologies based on digital experimentation and international scientific cooperation. According to the promoters, the network already integrates institutions in countries such as Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Panama, and Colombia, as well as academic centers in European cities such as Prague and Barcelona. The measurements taken between these different points allow for comparative studies on the variation of gravity as a function of latitude, reinforcing the practical component of physics teaching. For the coordinator of the Master's Program in Physics Teaching at ISCED-Huíla, Joaquim Quessongo, the installation of the equipment represents a qualitative leap in teaching, allowing for a direct link between theory and practice. The professor highlighted that students will now handle the pendulum in a laboratory context, no longer depending solely on simulations or theoretical representations. He added that the system is associated with software that allows for the simulation of measurements in different regions of the world, expanding t he possibilities for comparative analysis. Although it requires an internet connection for some functionalities, the equipment was considered sustainable and suitable for the institution's technical conditions, ensuring its continuous use in the teaching and research process. The pendulum was installed during the VI Conference of Physicists of the CPLP, which brought together specialists, teachers, and researchers from Portuguese-speaking countries in Lubango to discuss the challenges and opportunities of Physics within the community.
