Maxwell’s Wheel

This classic physics device, is a desktop kinetic sculpture.  Consisting of an axle-mounted oscillating flywheel, it demonstrates the conservation of mechanical energy and its conversion from one form to another.  After the wheel is rotated by hand to the top and released, its potential energy transforms into kinetic rotational energy as it falls.  When the wheel reaches the bottom position, the kinetic energy changes back to potential energy as it rolls up again.  This process continues until all the energy is lost to friction.

Maxwell’s Wheel is a classic way of showing the interplay between potential energy and kinetic energy along with the affects of nearly-static collisions.