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22 November 2024 05:31
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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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Question |
| Asked by: |
Jack Willison |
| Subject: |
Gyroscope Argument |
| Question: |
Hey Guys,
I need a little help in understanding some of the concepts relating to gyroscopes. I guess my question concerns an argument i was having with my friend, he believes that the way a gyroscope works is that it resists moving from one point to another when it is in motion. His argument is that if a large enough gyroscope was made, that once it was spinning, it would slighly effect the earths orbit. i.e that part of the earth where it is located would resist its movement around the sun.
Unfortunatly i do not have the basis in physics to fully understand the forces actinf on a gyroscope and refute his assumption. Pehaps someone here could hep me out.,
Thanks very much.
Jack |
| Date: |
16 March 2007
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Answers (Ordered by Date)
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| Answer: |
Sandy Kidd - 29/03/2007 06:43:43
| | | Dear Jack,
This is my opinion for what it is worth.
Any of the gyroscopes I have ever dabbled with, under the conditions you described would not affect the Earth, or its orbit in any way.
A gyroscope in precession displays no angular momentum during precession rotation.
Additionally, and whilst the gyroscope is in precession, the mass of the gyroscope is transferred, and acts vertically downwards through the axis of precession rotation at its fulcrum point.
So in the final analysis all the gyroscope in precession can display is rotation.
Therefore there would be no tendency for your friend’s oversized gyroscope to resist the Earth’s rotation either locally or otherwise.
Does this help?
Sandy Kidd
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