Unknotting of chains on a vibrating platform

Abstract

Small, hollow, metallic ball–chains follow the Ben–Naim model of unknotting, which has not been modeled on chains with different geometry, flexibility, and material composition, such as plastic ball–chains and regular chains. Simple open–ended trefoil knots of plastic ball–chains and regular chains were unknotted on a horizontally–oriented speaker vibrating at a frequency of 13 Hz at 10 volts AC. The plastic and regular ball–chains did not follow the Ben–Naim model of trefoil unknotting. A new theoretical model is necessary to generalize different chains and links.