Toy models: The jumping pendulum

We consider a simple pendulum consisting of a mass attached to an inextensible string of negligible mass. For small or large initial velocities, the motion of the pendulum is along a circle. When given sufficient but not too large an initial velocity, the mass will reach a certain height and leave t...

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Main Authors: Goriely, A, Boulanger, P, Leroy, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2006
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author Goriely, A
Boulanger, P
Leroy, J
author_facet Goriely, A
Boulanger, P
Leroy, J
author_sort Goriely, A
collection OXFORD
description We consider a simple pendulum consisting of a mass attached to an inextensible string of negligible mass. For small or large initial velocities, the motion of the pendulum is along a circle. When given sufficient but not too large an initial velocity, the mass will reach a certain height and leave the circle. After such a jump, it will follow a parabolic path until the string is again fully extended and the motion is again constrained by the string. We assume that the radial component (along the string) of the velocity of the mass instantaneously vanishes when the string becomes taut and that the mass loses some of its energy in the shock and resumes its circular motion. What is the dynamics of such a pendulum? Can it jump more than once? How many times can it jump? © 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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spelling oxford-uuid:599078d3-c7d4-417d-bbb2-7873edeab0042022-03-26T17:10:29ZToy models: The jumping pendulumJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:599078d3-c7d4-417d-bbb2-7873edeab004EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2006Goriely, ABoulanger, PLeroy, JWe consider a simple pendulum consisting of a mass attached to an inextensible string of negligible mass. For small or large initial velocities, the motion of the pendulum is along a circle. When given sufficient but not too large an initial velocity, the mass will reach a certain height and leave the circle. After such a jump, it will follow a parabolic path until the string is again fully extended and the motion is again constrained by the string. We assume that the radial component (along the string) of the velocity of the mass instantaneously vanishes when the string becomes taut and that the mass loses some of its energy in the shock and resumes its circular motion. What is the dynamics of such a pendulum? Can it jump more than once? How many times can it jump? © 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers.
spellingShingle Goriely, A
Boulanger, P
Leroy, J
Toy models: The jumping pendulum
title Toy models: The jumping pendulum
title_full Toy models: The jumping pendulum
title_fullStr Toy models: The jumping pendulum
title_full_unstemmed Toy models: The jumping pendulum
title_short Toy models: The jumping pendulum
title_sort toy models the jumping pendulum
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AT boulangerp toymodelsthejumpingpendulum
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