Gyroscope precession
A spinning wheel on a pivot does not fall: it precesses at Ω = mgr/(Iω). See torque, angular momentum vector, precession rate vs spin and why a slow spin falls.
About this experiment
| Subject | Physics |
|---|---|
| Class | 11 |
| Chapter | 6. Systems of Particles and Rotational Motion |
| NCERT section | 6.12 (extension) |
| Level | Advanced (JEE / Olympiad) |
| Time | about 12 minutes |
| Access | Included in a PractiSci plan |
What you do in the lab
Change the controls and watch the physics behave in real time in 3D. Live readouts and graphs show the numbers behind it, and the Learn tab has the theory, procedure, observations and viva questions. Works on a phone or a laptop, in English and Hindi.
Topics: gyroscope · precession · angular momentum · torque · top
More from this chapter
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- Centre of mass of a system and of a rigid body
- Ladder against a wall: friction and equilibrium
- Moment of inertia of different bodies, parallel/perpendicular axis
- Atwood machine with a massive pulley
- Rolling without slipping: ring, disc and sphere race
- Torque and equilibrium of a rigid body (see-saw)