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The behavior of bouncing disks and pizza tossing

K.-C. Liu, J. Friend and L. Yeo

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We investigate the dynamics of a disk bouncing on a vibrating platform – a variation of the classic bouncing ball problem – that captures the physics of pizza tossing and the operation of certain standing-wave ultrasonic motors (SWUMs). The system's dynamics explains why certain tossing motions are used by dough-toss performers for different tricks: a helical trajectory is used in single tosses because it maximizes energy efficiency and the dough's airborne rotational speed, a semi-elliptical motion is used in multiple tosses because it is easier for maintaining dough rotation at the maximum rotational speed. The system's bifurcation diagram and basins of attraction also informs SWUM designers about the optimal design for high speed and minimal sensitivity to perturbation.


PACS

84.60.-h Direct energy conversion and storage

43.38.Fx Piezoelectric and ferroelectric transducers

05.45.-a Nonlinear dynamics and nonlinear dynamical systems

Subjects

Electronics and devices

Statistical physics and nonlinear systems

Dates

Issue 6 (March 2009)

Received 26 January 2009, accepted for publication 20 February 2009

Published 26 March 2009



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