Rattlebacks
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Rattlebacks
SciCast Workshop
Download film (right-click)Demonstration , Make & Do , Physics , Secondary
A curious little toy that will spin merrily in one direction - but refuses to go the other way.
Director's Notes:
If you poke around in the gift shop of your local science centre, you’ll quite likely find the blue plastic rattleback featured at the beginning of this film. The one with turtles has been kicking around the office for years; chances are it originally came from Grand Illusions. But if neither of those options appeals, follow the instructions in the film and make your own.
Getting the ruler balanced can be fiddly, but persevere and you’ll make it work. Which of course begs the question: why does it work? What makes it spin only in one direction? How does it stop itself?
Watch out for the Experiment page for this film, coming soon, for a few more answers — or poke around the web and you’ll find them. Rattlebacks are sometimes known as ‘celts’, so you could try searching for that too, if you don’t get lucky with ‘rattleback.’
SciCast Notes:
It’s harder than you might think to film a clear make&do sequence like this, particularly when you need to start showing close-ups. The quick shot of the spoon being snapped is a bit too quick, really, but bonus points to the team for trying.
This film is also a terrific example of how good performances can really lift a film — despite having done dozens of takes, the presenters are lively and engaging. Great work.
Finally, I always recommend that you leave the camera running just a bit longer than you think you’re going to need. Mostly this is to make sure you’ve caught whatever it was you were after, but occasionally unexpected things happen. If your camera doesn’t catch them, you can’t use them.
I’m referring to the little hand-wave at the end, of course, which is brilliantly charming and makes me laugh every time. Completely unplanned, and completely brilliant.
— Jonathan.