Why Does a Tippe Top Lift Off the Ground When Spun Quickly?

[al_9591]

Homework Statement

1. Homework Statement
Why when a Tippe top is spun with high angular velocity, it spins until it lifts its body of the top off the ground with its stem pointing downward?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

The only reason I could think of was that it's kinetic energy is converted to potential energy, is this idea correct? could somebody please give me a theoretical explanation and also with equations?

 

[The legend]

i would like to find an answer to this one too...

 

[AC130Nav]

Have you done the obvious? Look at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tippe_top
The thing doesn't levitate; it just reorients using kinetic energy to achieve a second stable condition with more potential energy.