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<p>This thesis reviews the experimental investigation of a non-smooth dynamical system
consisting of two pendula; a large pendulum attached to a frame with an impact wall,
and a small pendulum, which shares its axis of rotation with the large pendulum and
can impact against the large pendulum. The system is forced with a sinusoidal horizontal
motion, and due to the nonlinearities present in pendula as well as the discontinuous
forcing from impacts, exhibits a wide range of behavior. Periodic, quasi-periodic,
and chaotic responses all are possible, hysteresis is present, and grazing bifurcations
allow for spontaneous change of behavior and the appearance of chaotic responses without
following a traditional route to chaos. This thesis follows from existing non-linear
dynamics research on forced pendula, impacting systems (such as a bouncing ball) and
doubly impacting systems (ball bouncing on top of a bouncing ball).</p>
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