FORCED PRECESSION OF A GYROSCOPE (Eugene Butikov)

[Fu-Kwun Hwang]

http://faculty.ifmo.ru/butikov/Applets/Gyroscope.html


You can make a pause in the simulation and resume it by clicking on the button "Start/Pause" on the control panel located on the left-hand side of the applet window. This control panel allows you also to vary parameters of the system and conditions of the simulation. By dragging the pointer of the mouse inside the applet window (moving the pointer with the left button pressed) you can rotate the image around the vertical and horizontal axes for a more convenient point of view.

If the axis of a spinning gyroscope is inclined to the vertical, its axis generates in space a circular cone, so that the angle between the axis and the vertical remains constant during rotation. This kind of motion of a gyroscope that is subjected to an external torque is called forced or torque-induced precession. For a gyroscope whose axis is supported at a point different from the center of mass, this external torque is provided by the force of gravity. All points of the gyroscope located at the axis move in circular paths whose centers lie on the vertical line passing through the supporting point.

You might want to check out author's web site for more simulations created with EJS.
The Oceanic Tides

[lookang]

great applet by Eugene Butikov!

i embed this youtube for relating to the real life phenomena to situate the learning and association to real life.


ScienceOnline — January 02, 2009 — A toy gyroscope demonstrates the remarkable consequences of angular momentum.