Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Chinese yo-yo
The Chinese yo-yo is a toy from China consisting of two equally-sized discs connected with a long axle. The Chinese yo-yo is kept spinning on a string tied to two sticks at its ends. Each stick is held in one hand. In modern times, it is used as a children's toy and as a performance tool in juggling and in Chinese ethnic dance. It is possible to perform an enormous variety of tricks with the Chinese yo-yo.
Like the Western yo-yo, it maintains its spinning motion through a gyroscopic effect based on conservation of angular momentum.
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Design
Chinese yo-yos were traditionally made of wood. Modern models, however, are usually made of plastic, though the sticks continue to be made of wood.
Some Chinese yo-yos have grooves inset in the rim of the discs. This causes them to make a whistling sound when spinning at high speed.
Chinese name
There are many names in the Chinese language for the Chinese yo-yo, for which the Chinese characters and the pinyin are given here:
- 扯鈴 chě líng ("pull bell sound")
- 中國搖搖 zhōng guó yáo yáo ("Middle Kingdom yo-yo" or "Chinese yo-yo")
- 響簧 xiǎng huáng ("sound instrument")
- 斗空竹 dǒu kōng zhú
- 空竹 kong zhú
Diabolo
The Chinese yo-yo is thousands of years old. It has been adapted in the West as the diabolo. The Chinese yo-yo differs from the diabolo in two primary ways. First, the axle of the Chinese yo-yo is much longer than the axle of the diabolo. Also, the Chinese yo-yo has disc-shaped wheels whereas the diabolo consists of two bell-shapes. For a comparison, see a picture of a Chinese yo-yo here and a picture of a diabolo here.
External links
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