A ball rolling on a vertical cylinder exhibits a bizarre quasi-periodic motion. We explain this behavior in terms of Coriolis torque and study the phenomenon experimentally. The data confirm the predicted motion and the surprising invariance of the ratio between the horizontal and vertical frequencies. This result might account for the frustrating sight of a golf ball escaping from the hole an instant after it is putted in.
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.© 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2006
American Association of Physics Teachers
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