• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

How does a yo-yo “sleep” at the bottom of the string without coming back up?

By Karen Hill

First, a quick rundown of the anatomy of a yo-yo: two disks of equal size are placed together and connected with a little part in the middle called an axle.

A string is affixed to the yo-yo, either by tying a loop around the axle or by attaching the end of the string directly to a point in the axle.

A yo-yo is able to “sleep,” or stay spinning at the bottom of the string, because as the string loops around the axle, gravity keeps it down instead of winding the yo-yo back up.

The axle has to be smooth enough that it can spin freely in the loop of the string, yet has to have just enough friction that when you jerk the string, the axle will grip it and wind back up.

When you want the yo-yo to come back up, a simple jerk will begin the process of the string wrapping around the axle. Of course, none of this works at all— the yo-yo will not “sleep”— if the string is affixed to only one place on the axle.

Related

  • How did the G string get its name and Where does the term "G string" come from?
  • How Do Birds Sleep Without Falling Out of Trees and Do Birds Sleep Laying Down or Standing Up On Perches?
  • How Long Can a Sea Turtle Stay Underwater and Hold its Breath Without Coming to the Surface for Air?
  • Why do horses sleep standing up and can they sleep lying down?
  • How Much Sleep Do Giraffes Need and How do They Have the Shortest Sleep Requirements of Any Mammal?
  • How Did Dinosaurs Sleep and Did Prehistoric Dinosaurs Sleep Standing Up or Lying Down?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Accomplishments Animals Culture Finance Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Law Mythology Odds People Plants Religion Science Space The World Universe Your Body

About · Privacy · Contact
Copyright © 2019 Zippy Facts