In this article, the dynamics of a traditional toy, the yo-yo, are investigated theoretically and experimentally using smartphone sensors. In particular, using the gyroscope the angular velocity is measured. The experimental results are complemented thanks to a digital video analysis. The concordance between theoretical and experimental results is discussed. As the yo-yo is a ubiquitous, simple, and traditional toy, this simple proposal could encourage students to experiment with everyday objects and modern technologies.
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