Fidget spinner
Stress-relieving toy
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Key Takeaways
- A fidget spinner or hand spinner is a toy composed of a central ball bearing and two or more weighted lobes that rotate around the central axis when spun.
- The toy rose to widespread popularity in 2017, and was marketed as a variety of uses, including stress relief and support for individuals with attention-related conditions.
- Reception was mixed, with reports of both positive user experiences and criticism regarding classroom disruptions and safety concerns.
- The ball bearing consists of small metal balls that roll between an inner and outer race, allowing the spinner to rotate smoothly around its axis.
- The design also distributes mass away from the center, increasing the moment of inertia, which helps maintain rotational motion.
A fidget spinner or hand spinner is a toy composed of a central ball bearing and two or more weighted lobes that rotate around the central axis when spun. Typically made of plastic or metal, the toy operates on basic mechanical principles such as angular momentum and low-friction motion, allowing it to spin smoothly and for extended periods. The toy rose to widespread popularity in 2017, and was marketed as a variety of uses, including stress relief and support for individuals with attention-related conditions. Although some proponents claimed therapeutic benefits for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, empirical studies have not substantiated these claims. Reception was mixed, with reports of both positive user experiences and criticism regarding classroom disruptions and safety concerns.
Structure and physics
Fidget spinners are typically made of rubber or metal, with a central ball bearing and several prongs extending outward. The ball bearing consists of small metal balls that roll between an inner and outer race, allowing the spinner to rotate smoothly around its axis. When a prong is flicked, the spinner rotates around the bearing with minimal resistance due to the rolling motion of the balls inside the bearing.
The design also distributes mass away from the center, increasing the moment of inertia, which helps maintain rotational motion. As the spinner rotates, it behaves like a gyroscope, resisting changes to its orientation due to angular momentum. Over time, the speed of rotation decreases following an exponential decay pattern, meaning that while it slows gradually, it cannot spin indefinitely.
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