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Natural Sciences · Advanced

Spinning Tops & Gyroscopes

A spinning top seems to defy gravity, slowly circling instead of toppling. Learn to treat angular momentum as a vector, discover why torque makes spinning objects precess, see how the Earth's axis traces a circle every 26,000 years, meet the strange instability of rotation about an object's middle axis, and see how bicycles, spacecraft and phones put spin to work.

7 lessons~35 min0/7 complete
Start courseHelpful background: Rotation & Torque
1

Precession

Torque turns, rather than topples.

  1. Spin Has a DirectionAngular momentum as a vector
  2. Defying GravityWhy tops precess
2

Spin in the World

Planets, spacecraft and a strange flip.

  1. Earth’s WobbleThe precession of the equinoxes
  2. Stable and Unstable SpinsBullets, spacecraft and a flipping nut
3

Spin at Work

Bicycles, spacecraft and phones.

  1. Leaning into TurnsBicycles, balance and countersteering
  2. Gyroscopes at WorkTurning spacecraft and sensing motion
  3. How Fast Can a Planet Spin?The spin barrier