A driven disk with chaotic motion

Editor's Note: The driven disk is a simple and familiar chaotic system. Wedged between two motorized rollers and confined to the vertical plane, the disk is driven upward. The result is a chaotic mix of spinning and pendulum motion that will surprise and delight experimenters. The new model presented here is accessible to undergraduate physics students in courses on classical mechanics and chaotic systems.

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Publication Details

Journal
American Journal of Physics
Published
2026-05-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0317722
Primary Topic
Quantum chaos and dynamical systems
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

A driven disk with chaotic motion

Kirk T. McDonald
American Journal of Physics
Quantum chaos and dynamical systems
article

A driven disk with chaotic motion

Kirk T. McDonald
article en

Abstract

Editor's Note: The driven disk is a simple and familiar chaotic system. Wedged between two motorized rollers and confined to the vertical plane, the disk is driven upward. The result is a chaotic mix of spinning and pendulum motion that will surprise and delight experimenters. The new model presented here is accessible to undergraduate physics students in courses on classical mechanics and chaotic systems.

American Journal of PhysicsVol. 94(6)
Princeton University (US)
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Quantum chaos and dynamical systems
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