The Maxwell's Pendulum The Maxwell's Pendulum

This big yo-yo is called "Maxwell pendulum". The disc descends rotating slowly till it rebounds and comes back up.

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The slow descending of the pendulum is due to its big moment of inertia: the contribution of the kinetic energy of rotation in the total kinetic energy is significant.

A good knowledge of these movements allows complicated "variations" with the yo-yo. Young people are able to make very weird things.


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