Slowest point of a whirled rod; a bouncing weight
Notes on motion: the middle of a slung rod, and a weight rebounding on impact
Three short notes on motion and weights. In red chalk, Leonardo observes that in a whirled rod the slowest motion is at the middle of its length. In pen he adds that when a weight falls joined to another, the blow struck on the ground throws the lesser weight back up into the air. A third heading, 'Weights in fall,' labels small sketches of falling weights near the foot of the page.
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The slowest motion of a whirled rod
For a rod swung or slung about, the point of slowest motion lies at the middle of its length. The ends sweep fastest, the centre least. It is a remark on how speed is distributed along a turning body.
A lesser weight rebounds on impact
When one weight falls joined to another, the percussion the pair makes upon the ground throws the smaller weight back up into the air. Leonardo notes the transfer of the blow into an upward rebound of the lighter body.