compensation strips

pl. Two blades of copper and iron soldered together and fixed to the rod of a pendulum, the copper rod, which is the more expansible, being below the iron. As the temperature falls, the pendulum rod becomes shorter, but the strips, if in their normal state horizontal, now curve with the convex portion upward. If again the temperature rises, the pendulum ball descends, but the strips, which now curve with their convexity downward, make a compensation for this. Both in the former case and in that now described, the center of oscillation of the pendulum is not disturbed. Compensation strips are called also com pen sating strips. com-pěn-sā-tive, a. & s. [From Lat. compen sat ( us ), pa. par. of compenso; and Eng. suff. -ive, from Lat. -ivus.] A. As adj .: Compensating, making good a lo . B. As subst.: That which acts in a compensatory way; an equivalent.