Does the Euler Disk slip during its motion?

Abstract

The motion of a disk that is spun on a smooth flat surface slowly damps out due to friction. To help identify the nature of the friction, we test experimentally whether the disk slips during its motion. We find that, at least during the early stages, the disk rolls without slipping, thus ruling out sliding friction as the cause of the damping. Together with the results of the experiments of van der Engh et al. that rule out air friction, our results establish that rolling friction is mainly responsible for the damping in the early stages of the motion. Student projects are suggested that could establish whether our conclusion of rolling without slipping holds for the later stages of the motion.