Lariat chain explained

A lariat chain is a loop of chain that hangs off, and is spun by a wheel. It is often used as a science exhibit or a toy.

The original lariat chain was created in 1986 by Norman Tuck, as an artist-in-residence project^[1] at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

The lariat chain was developed from an earlier Tuck piece entitled Chain Reaction (1984). Chain Reaction was hand cranked, and utilized a heavy chain attached by magnets onto an iron flywheel. As in the lariat chain, Chain Reaction used a brush to disrupt the motion of the traveling chain.

The speed of the chain is arranged to equal the wave speed of transverse waves,^[2] so that waves moving against the motion of the chain appear to be standing still.^{[3] [4]}

See also

• Belt (mechanical)
• Foucault pendulum
• Launch loop has similar potential instabilities

External links

• • Coilgun info: Lariat Chain Introduction
• Kinetic Chain sculpture built from a bicycle
• Instructables how-to
• Simulation of a Lariat chain

Notes and References

1. Web site: Exhibit Cross Reference – Lariat Chain . Exploratorium . 2014-03-17.
2. Web site: Transverse and Longitudinal Waves. hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu. 2016-02-13.
3. http://www.exploratorium.edu/cmp/exnet/exhibits/group2/lariat/index.html Exploratorium
4. Web site: normantuck.com . 2008-07-25 . 2021-01-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210125213332/http://normantuck.com/catalogPages/lariat.html . dead .