Experiment Mu-14
Spin Flipping
Description: A
bicycle wheel is mounted at the end of a rod, and the system is held by a string
at the other end of the rod. Due to the gravitational torque, the wheel
will precess about a vertical axis when it is spinning. By applying another
torque on the system and trying to force the precession around the vertical axis,
a person can change the angular momentum of the wheel. The angular momentum
becomes aligned with the torque the person creates. This will cause the
gyroscope to rise to a vertical position.
Wheel
before applied torque.
Gyroscope
spinning in vertical position.
This page was last updated on
Friday August 15, 2008 8:37 PM
