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Zeinin
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Hey! this is my first post here, and I apologize if it is in the incorrect forum, but I have been banging my head against the wall over this concept and I can't seem to find a straight answer. It concerns gyroscopes.
The question is, can two counter-rotating masses on a common spindle stabilize? or does the angular momentum cancel out, causing the gyro to fall as if it had never been spun at all? Here is an image that might make it more clear:
http://waffleimages.inorpo.com/files/db/db30ce33c1c79796a5c309b88325f37936c1ed5d.jpe
The red and blue rings are the masses in question, and they are attached to the spindle via the yellow ball bearings. They counter-rotate, as evidenced by the green arrows showing the direction of rotation for each mass. Assuming that both rings are spinning at the same rate, and lower point of the frame is placed on a table, what will happen?
There are two possible outcomes here:
1. As the rate of spin drops due to friction, the inclination to precess is canceled out by the opposite rotations, meaning it stays upright until the last possible moment.
2. The two masses cancel each other's angular velocity and the whole assembly falls as it would if there was no spin on the weights.
My hope is that the device will act as traditional one-weight gyro, but with a much greater inclination toward stability. Remember, the spindle/frame is rotationally isolated from the weights. Will it fall, or will be rock steady?
The question is, can two counter-rotating masses on a common spindle stabilize? or does the angular momentum cancel out, causing the gyro to fall as if it had never been spun at all? Here is an image that might make it more clear:
http://waffleimages.inorpo.com/files/db/db30ce33c1c79796a5c309b88325f37936c1ed5d.jpe
The red and blue rings are the masses in question, and they are attached to the spindle via the yellow ball bearings. They counter-rotate, as evidenced by the green arrows showing the direction of rotation for each mass. Assuming that both rings are spinning at the same rate, and lower point of the frame is placed on a table, what will happen?
There are two possible outcomes here:
1. As the rate of spin drops due to friction, the inclination to precess is canceled out by the opposite rotations, meaning it stays upright until the last possible moment.
2. The two masses cancel each other's angular velocity and the whole assembly falls as it would if there was no spin on the weights.
My hope is that the device will act as traditional one-weight gyro, but with a much greater inclination toward stability. Remember, the spindle/frame is rotationally isolated from the weights. Will it fall, or will be rock steady?
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