Mystery Wands

From UO Physics Demonstration Catalog

Return to Rotational Dynamics

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Description:

This is a matching set of aluminum tubes of equal mass. However, one has it's internal weights located near the center while the other has them at the ends. They can be spun together rotating on a small rod and the bar with the masses in the center, lower moment of inertia, will slow down faster. You can feel that they have different moments of inertia if the bars are held in at the center and rotated back and forth.

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