Will a Toy Top Keep Spinning in Space?

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In summary, the question is whether a spinning toy top in dead space will ever stop spinning. The answer is that in a closed system, the top will continue spinning due to the conservation of angular momentum. However, in a non-closed system, interactions with other material or releasing radiation can cause the top to stop spinning. An experimental example is the Einstein Probe B experiment which used gyroscopes to measure the curvature of spacetime around the Earth. Gravitational radiation can also affect the top's spinning, but it would take a very long time for it to have an impact. Therefore, the top will eventually stop spinning, but it will take a significant amount of time.
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l0rca
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Sorry if this is the wrong forum. I looked in the FAQ, but since this isn't a homework question and doesn't fit the syntax of asking it, I thought here was the best place.

If I started spinning a toy top in dead space, would the top ever stop spinning?

My first guess is 'yes, it will stop,' because the motion of the top is accelerative, and in order to keep spinning must continue to accelerate in more than one direction. However, I'm not sure if I remember enough of GR to figure out where the initial energy of spinning the top ends up (or if this question is a sort of fallacy in this situation), and I did a google search before coming here where there was supposedly an experiment carried out like this to prove that the top does keep spinning.

Any help here?
 
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Angular momentum is conserved, so it is only interactions with other material or releasing radiation that could make the top stop spinning. (ie. if it is a closed system, the system can't loose angular momentum)

Since you asked for an experimental example, the first thing that came to mind is the Einstein Probe B experiment which had some of the most precise gyroscopes ever built. These are basically spinning tops. The rate of the spinning was constant enough to allow measurement of some subtle features of the curvature of spacetime around the Earth (despite even some slight interactions due to our requirement that we need it to be a non-closed system so we can measure it, and uncontrollable interactions due just to other material enclosing the device).

Since you mentioned GR, you may also be thinking about gravitational radiation. While it would take an incredibly long time for this to affect just a toy top, if the top has a non-zero quadrapole or higher order mass distribution, it will radiate gravitational waves and very very slowly slow down.
 
  • #3
So, even though the top is accelerating, so long as the acceleration is purely in terms of velocity, it does not require continued energy to stop accelerating?
 

1. Will a toy top keep spinning in space?

Yes, a toy top will continue to spin in space as long as it has an initial angular momentum. This is because there is no air resistance or gravity in space to slow it down.

2. How is a toy top able to keep spinning in space without any air resistance?

Air resistance is only a factor on Earth due to the Earth's atmosphere. In the vacuum of space, there is no air resistance to slow down the top's spinning motion.

3. Will the toy top's spinning direction change in space?

Yes, the spinning direction of a toy top can change in space due to the conservation of angular momentum. This means that the top's spinning motion will remain constant unless acted upon by an external force.

4. Can the toy top keep spinning forever in space?

In theory, yes, the toy top can keep spinning forever in space as long as there is no external force acting upon it to slow it down or stop it completely. However, in reality, there may be other factors such as gravitational forces or collisions with other objects that could eventually affect its spinning motion.

5. Would a toy top spin differently in space compared to on Earth?

Yes, a toy top's spinning motion in space may appear different compared to on Earth due to the lack of air resistance and gravity. It may also spin for a longer period of time in space due to these factors.

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