Hmm... I was asking more about Feynman's Wobbling Plate. Feynman said he observed the wobble at half the spin rate, but his equation says it's 2 wobbles per spin. Could both be true? From what I've read the wobble to spin ratio is determined by the size and shape, with the caveat as long as the amplitude is not too large. What happens when the amplitude is too large?wrobel said:I am not sure that understood your question correctly, but anyway you are asking about the Euler top. Try textbooks
yes, it is a special case of the Euler topDueschnozzle said:I was asking more about Feynman's Wobbling Plate.
So is this the difference between torque free precession = 2 wobble/1retrograde spin, vs roll or pure precession = 1wobble/1spin in same direction or zero spin?wrobel said:yes, it is a special case of the Euler top
Torque-free precession is a type of rotational motion where an object spins around an axis without any external torque acting upon it. This means that the object's angular momentum remains constant, and it rotates with a constant angular velocity.
The main difference between torque-free precession and torque-induced precession is the presence of an external torque. Torque-induced precession occurs when there is an external torque acting on an object, causing its axis of rotation to change. In contrast, torque-free precession occurs without any external torque and the axis of rotation remains constant.
Torque-free precession occurs in celestial bodies, such as planets and moons, due to their asymmetrical shape. This causes a slight gravitational pull from other celestial bodies, resulting in a torque-free precession motion. Additionally, the Earth's rotation axis experiences torque-free precession due to the gravitational pull from the Moon and the Sun.
Wobble direction is the direction in which an object's axis of rotation precesses. In torque-free precession, the wobble direction remains constant since no external torque is acting on the object. This means that the object will continue to precess in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.
Torque-free precession is an essential concept in gyroscopic motion, where objects with high rotational velocities demonstrate torque-free precession. This property allows gyroscopes to maintain a constant orientation and resist external forces, making them useful in various applications, such as navigation systems and space exploration.