Can Precession Explain the Stability of High-Speed Ice Skaters?

[gabriel barata]

does it take wheels for precession to happen? can precession be applied to ice skates, for example?

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to PhysicsForums.

Assuming you mean precession of a spinning ice skater (not of their skates), it should happen. What makes a gyroscope precess? Spinning angular momentum is one part; what is the other part that causes precession? What could you do to an ice skater in a spin that would cause this effect?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...precession.gif/220px-Gyroscope_precession.gif

 

[gabriel barata]

Welcome to PhysicsForums.

Assuming you mean precession of a spinning ice skater (not of their skates), it should happen. What makes a gyroscope precess? Spinning angular momentum is one part; what is the other part that causes precession? What could you do to an ice skater in a spin that would cause this effect?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...precession.gif/220px-Gyroscope_precession.gif

View attachment 277225

Would it be the torque?
I don't get where is the spinning angular momentum, like in the wheels.

thanks for your reply

 

[A.T.]

I don't get where is the spinning angular momentum, ...

How should we know? You have not described any specific scenario.

 

[gabriel barata]

How should we know? You have not described any specific scenario.

A person leans to the side riding his bike to make the turn. I wanted to know about a person leaning on ice skates to make the turn, just like the person on the bike.

 

[A.T.]

I wanted to know about a person leaning on ice skates to make the turn, just like the person on the bike.

I don't think precession plays a role in this case.

 

[gabriel barata]

I don't think precession plays a role in this case.

So a high speed ice skater is no more stable than a low speed ice skater?

 

[A.T.]

So a high speed ice skater is no more stable than a low speed ice skater?

Moving fast by itself does not create stability against falling over to the side.

But the mechanisms of dynamic stability can be very complex, especially for the human body and its interaction with the ice. When you bring steering into it, it gets complicated, even for simple bikes: