Will the spinning gyroscope make the plumb fall slower?

In summary, a gyroscope will slow down the falling plumb if the gyroscope is spinning. However, it is not clear how the rate of the plumb's descent is related to the spinning of the gyroscope.
  • #1
SpaceThoughts
17
1
When winding a bike wheel up in an elastic double string in the ceiling, and then let the wheel spin vertically, it unwinds more slowly than if it was not spinning. I tried it.
But it if a spinning disk is placed in a solid construction like this (photo attached) , and can only rotate horizontally as the blue plump falls, will the plumb likewise fall more slowly than if the gyroscope was not spinning? If no, why is the gyroscope not working the same way as with the string in the ceiling?
I tried to simulate the situation in the photo with a moving front wheel of a bike, by could not detect a slower movement of the bike wheel, spinning versus not spinning.
Is that because the gyroscopic inertia (not the forces) is too small compared to the weight of the handlebars etc?
If the spinning gyroscope does slow down the falling plumb, how do I mathematically connect the speed of the wheel with the speed of the plumb? Please see my previous question.

Gyroscope.png
 
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  • #2
Calculate with the inertial momentum of the gyroscope. Spinning up a gyroscope is like a mass being accelerated; it needs to 'use' some of that force for its angular acceleration.
 
  • #3
cmb said:
Spinning up a gyroscope is like a mass being accelerated; it needs to 'use' some of that force for its angular acceleration.
If you apply an off-axis force to an object, none of that force is "used up". All of the force goes into linear acceleration. That's conservation of momentum in action. All of the force (times moment arm) also goes into angular momentum. That's conservation of angular momentum in action.

Both laws apply. Both apply to the full force.

That said, I can make neither head nor tail of the mechanism described in the original post. It is word salad and an inscrutable drawing to me.
 
  • #4
jbriggs444 said:
If you apply an off-axis force to an object, none of that force is "used up". All of the force goes into linear acceleration. That's conservation of momentum in action. All of the force (times moment arm) also goes into angular momentum. That's conservation of angular momentum in action.

Both laws apply. Both apply to the full force.

That said, I can make neither head nor tail of the mechanism described in the original post. It is word salad and an inscrutable drawing to me.
I took the description to mean there are two strings wound around the spindle of the wheel, and thus as the wheel falls so the wheel will spin up (hence the 'gyroscope' reference in the thread title) according to the tension in the strings.

The rate at which all that would happen would be a function of the radius of the spindle about which the strings are coiled.

Obviously, the wheel will drop slowly as the gravitational potential energy is largely converted into inertial rotational kinetic energy.

I thus took the second description to mean likewise, but that the 'gyroscope' is now fixed and the tension horizontal to a mass which can fall vertically.

If it was not 'that', then yes, forget what I said.
 

1. What is a spinning gyroscope?

A spinning gyroscope is a device that consists of a spinning wheel or disc mounted on a set of gimbals, which allows it to maintain its orientation in space regardless of any external forces acting on it.

2. How does a gyroscope affect the speed of a falling plumb?

A gyroscope does not directly affect the speed of a falling plumb. However, its spinning motion can help to stabilize the plumb and prevent it from deviating from its vertical path due to external forces such as wind or vibrations.

3. Will a spinning gyroscope make a plumb fall slower?

No, a spinning gyroscope will not make a plumb fall slower. The speed of a falling object is determined by the force of gravity and the resistance of the medium it is falling through, not by the presence of a gyroscope.

4. Can a gyroscope be used to slow down the fall of a plumb?

No, a gyroscope cannot be used to slow down the fall of a plumb. As mentioned before, the speed of a falling object is determined by external forces and the resistance of the medium it is falling through, not by the presence of a gyroscope.

5. Is there any scientific evidence to support the claim that a spinning gyroscope can affect the speed of a falling plumb?

No, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. In fact, experiments have shown that a gyroscope has no effect on the speed of a falling object. The only way a gyroscope can affect the speed of a falling plumb is if it is attached to the plumb and actively providing a force to slow it down, which is not its intended function.

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