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Lariat Chain
This moving loop of chain sets up strange, hovering wave patterns.
Where: Gallery 2: Tinkering
What’s going on?
With a mere touch from your fingertip, you can create waves in the chain that move in decidedly strange ways, warping as they wander.
The apparent strangeness is a result of relative motion. Waves that travel with the motion of the moving chain quickly whip up and away. But waves that travel against the motion of the chain seem to hover and dance eerily in place.
Phenomena:
Nonlinear Behavior, Resonance, Waves: Standing, Wave Excitation, Wave Guide, Waves: Transverse
Keywords:
bicycle wheel
Aliases:
Bicycle Chain
More to explore
Related exhibits
This web project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-30-16-0175-16].
