A story with twists and turns: How to control the rotation of the notched stick

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytical model of the notched stick toy, explaining its rotational behavior, ease of use, and the influence of finger displacement, with experimental validation and comparisons to optical birefringence effects.

Contribution

We develop the first analytical model of the notched stick's rotation, supported by experiments, and explore factors influencing its operation and similarities to optical phenomena.

Findings

Predicts rotation direction based on system parameters

Explains ease of operation without fine control

Highlights the role of vertical finger displacement

Abstract

The notched stick, also known as the Gee-Haw-Whammy-Diddle, is a wooden toy able to convert linear vibration into rotational motion, whose behavior has been intriguing both children and physicists for decades. Here we derive an analytical model of the system, supported by experimental results. We predict the direction of rotation, and explain why the device is so easy to operate, even without fine control of the various parameters. The potential importance of the vertical displacement of the finger exerting the perturbation force is also highlighted. We finally discuss similarities between the mechanical system described here and the optical effect of birefringence.