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The Gyroscope Forum

1 December 2024 20:26

Welcome to the gyroscope forum. If you have a question about gyroscopes in general, want to know how they work, or what they can be used for then you can leave your question here for others to answer. You may also be able to help others by answering some of the questions on the site.

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Asked by:	Josh
Subject:	precession
Question:	I couldn't find any questions in this forum about precession and was wondering if I had how the precession works correct. Could you explain how precession works in the way a kid could understand it? Im doing a science project on gyroscopes and know a LOT about gyroscopes except for this, which i think i might understand.
Date:	5 January 2005
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Answer:	jason sinclair - 06/01/2005 05:36:41
	I think you have explained it better (than any other description i have read) in your reply to my question. From the perspective of Newton's first law of motion, ". Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.' When you spin a gyroscope and it gains momentum it is happy to spin forever unless it is acted upon by another force. One force acting apon it is gravity. Gravity tries to push the gyroscope down. Newton's third law" For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" Because of inertia (as you rightly stated) The gryroscope resists the gravitational pull. It does this by pulling up (or twists against the opposing force-a better explaination) That's why a gyroscope when acted upon by gravity (starts slowing down) still holds position. While the force of gravity pushes it down, the opposing force of inertia twists (at the gyposcope's centre) back against the gravity. This twisting in turn (parden the pun) pushes back down against the very bottom of the gyroscope so that even at 90degrees it will hold in mid air. Because the force of gravity is constant and a gryoscope is symetrical the forces are distributed evenly hence the amazing behaviour of a gyroscope slowing down. It's better described by diagram but i hope it is understood.
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