Appendix C: Chaotic Toys
Francis C. Moon · 1992
CHAOTIC TOYSDuring many lectures given on chaos, I have demonstrated chaotic vibrations with a simple, inexpensive vibrating beam.This chaotic toy has many times made a believer out of a doubting Thomas and has provided motivation to study the often difficult mathematical theory behind chaotic phenomena.In this appendix, I describe several chaotic toys or desktop experiments and also provide some detailed description of the buckled beam experiment (which has been mentioned many times in this book) for the more serious experimenter.During one of these lectures, a physicist (with tongue in cheek) dubbed this experiment the "chaotic Moon-beam."This experiment has had great success in providing both qualitative and quantitative verification of many of the theoretical ideas about chaos.Another chaotic toy is a version of the forced pendulum sometimes seen in adult toy shops under names such as the "Space ball."A description of this experiment is also given.A short description of a simple neon bulb circuit with chaotic flashing lights is also provided.For those interested in a simple circuit that exhibits period-doubling phenomena, I recommend the circuit described in Matsumoto et a]. (1985)called the "double scroll attractor," which was discovered by L. Chua of University of California at Berkeley.This circuit is described in Chapter 4. Several other demonstrations of chaos are also described, including one shown to me by a Soviet physicist which I call ping-pong ball chaos.Coupled pendulums provide nice desktop chaotic toys, and Professor N. Rott's