Why a spinning top won't fall to the ground?

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SUMMARY

A spinning top remains upright due to gyroscopic motion, which is a fundamental principle of physics. When the top rotates around the Z-axis and begins to tilt, the forces acting on it cause a complex redistribution of rotational motion, preventing it from simply falling over. This phenomenon occurs because the tilt introduces additional rotational dynamics around the X-axis, which counteracts the fall. The interplay of these rotational forces is what allows the spinning top to maintain its balance for an extended period.

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Why a spinning top won't fall to the ground?
yes I know this question must have been asked before right? tried looking for it on here but I couldn't find it.
 
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feynmann said:
Why a spinning top won't fall to the ground?
yes I know this question must have been asked before right? tried looking for it on here but I couldn't find it.

I believe it's because of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscopic_Motion" .

The following is a purely intuitive, non-technical description.

When something is rotating in one direction, and you try to rotate it in another direction, it actually tries to move in a completely different direction. So, when the top is spinning about the Z-axis, and it starts to fall over (rotate about the Y-axis), some of that rotation ends up going about the X-axis instead. Because this rotational "falling" does not all go in the same direction, it can't "add up" and fall over as easily.
 
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