Chaotic Pendulum
This is a K'nex model of a chaotic pendulum we saw at our local science center.
The pendulum is a simple double-L design with one end pivoted in the middle and
the other end rigidly fixed at a right angle. With just a small twist of the
handle at the back of the frame, the freely-rotating yellow endpiece exhibits
unpredictable motion. At the other end of the main rotating piece, a
counterbalancing arm is rigidly fixed at right angles and provides an off-axis
center of gravity. To prevent twisting of the main or secondary arms outside of
the plane of rotation, a combination of orange and tan connectors is used to
rigidly attach the main arm to the rotating axle. Extra red rods are snapped
onto white connectors at the top of the framework for axle stability. A single
blue axle spacer is used at the flexible end of the main arm to provide
clearance for the free-moving yellow endpiece. This model would produce some
pretty interesting trajectories if a light were attached to the yellow endpiece
and a time exposure made.
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