Rocking and Rolling Rattlebacks

• Autores: Rod Cross
• Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 51, Nº. 9, 2013, págs. 544-545
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • A rattleback is a well-known physics toy that has a preferred direction of rotation. If it isspun about a vertical axis in the �wrong� direction, it will slow down, start rocking from end toend, and then spin in the opposite (i.e. preferred) direction. Many articles have been written aboutrattlebacks. Some are highly mathematical 1 , 2 and others are purely descriptive. 3�5 It is surprising that there is still no simple physicalexplanation. By that, I mean an explanation that can be given to a high school student and one that does notinvolve an obscure set of complicated equations.