A Hoberman Sphere is a collapsible sphere toy. It is hung from a stand and slowly rotated. When a string is pulled to collapse the sphere, it will rotate much faster due to Conservation of Angular Momentum.
* Equipment seen in the video may vary from equipment used in ND Demonstrations. See information and images below for ND equipment and setup.
Setup:
Hang the Hoberman sphere from a tall ring stand setup so that it can spin freely and the string hanging out of the bottom is easily accessible.
Give the sphere a push to start it slowly spinning. Pull the string to collapse the sphere and see it spin faster. Release the string and the sphere will return to its' original size and speed of rotation.
Notes:
Be careful not to pinch anything in the collapsing sphere.
Courses Used In:
PHY 10111
PHY 10310
PHY 10410
PHY 30210
Discussion and Polling Questions:
What real life example does this remind you of? (answers can include ballet, playground equipment, etc.)
Can this explain why our solar system or planets spin?
Is this an example of conservation of angular momentum or energy?
Equipment Needed:
Hoberman Sphere with String Attached
Tall Ring Stand
Swivel Coupling