A lariat chain is a loop of chain that hangs off, and is spun by a wheel. It is often used as a science exhibit or a toy.
The original lariat chain was created in 1986 by Norman Tuck, as an artist-in-residence project[1] at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
The lariat chain was developed from an earlier Tuck piece entitled Chain Reaction (1984). Chain Reaction was hand cranked, and utilized a heavy chain attached by magnets onto an iron flywheel. As in the lariat chain, Chain Reaction used a brush to disrupt the motion of the traveling chain.
The speed of the chain is arranged to equal the wave speed of transverse waves,[2] so that waves moving against the motion of the chain appear to be standing still.[3][4]
See also
edit- Belt (mechanical)
- Foucault pendulum
- Launch loop has similar potential instabilities
References
edit- ^ "Exhibit Cross Reference – Lariat Chain". Exploratorium. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ^ "Transverse and Longitudinal Waves". hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
- ^ Exploratorium Archived 2008-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "normantuck.com". Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
External links
edit
- Coilgun info: Lariat Chain Introduction
- Kinetic Chain sculpture built from a bicycle
- Instructables how-to
- Simulation of a Lariat chain
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