All spun out by the precession of tops

[rubble]

hey anyone have any light to shed on the following:

trying to revise a bit of the old classical mechanics this week and stumbled on a question about spinning tops that i couldn't do..

the question gives you the dimensions of the top and asks you do sketch the subsequent motion of the top and then calculate the angular frequency at which the top will precess, any ideas?

i think I've sketched it correctly but the second bit has me.

any help greatly appreciated!

rob

 

[OlderDan]

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/top.html

 

[AlephZero]

Or http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/EulersEquationsofMotion.html (more equations but fewer pictures).

 

[rubble]

cheers guys, the internet is useful afterall

rubble