PIRA 1Q50.30 Gyroscope

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Experiment 1: Weighted


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Faculty Instructions:
Demo Staff Notes:
Experiment 2: Nutations


Faculty Instructions:

  1. Spin the disk and release the gyroscope from rest at an angle of 30 degrees.


  2. Release the gyroscope from the same angle, but this time giving it an initial push in the direction of precession.


  3. Release the gyroscope from the same angle, but this time giving it an initial push in the direction opposite of the precession.


Experiment 3: Measuring Acceleration

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Faculty Instructions:
Demo Staff Notes:
Experiment 4: Counter-Rotating Disks

Faculty Instructions:

  1. While holding the horizontal bar at 90 degrees, spin both disks in the same direction to show that the gyroscope does not precess and then let go of the bar.
  2. Put an add-on mass on the screw. Repeat the directions from part 1, this time showing that the gyroscope does precess.
  3. Stop the disks and reverse their spin to demonstrate precess in the opposite direction.
  4. To counter-rotate the disks, there should already be strings wrapped around the pulley in opposite directions. Make sure the pins on each pulley are facing towards the ceiling then pull on both strings simultaneously.
    1. This will be a 2 person demonstration: one is holding the horizontal bar, and the other will pull both strings simultaneously. When the person pulling on the strings stops, the person holding the bar will let go.
      1. NOTE: if the gyroscope precesses even after you pull on the strings, simply stop its rotational motion by holding and setting the bar at 90 degrees, and then let go. The two disks should naturally want to not precess, demonstrating that counterrotation still does not precess.
      2. NOTE 2: Even though a torque is still being applied to the gyroscope, the gyroscope does not precess when the two disks are spinning in opposite directions.


Demo Staff Notes:
Photo Shows the Demonstration used by the University of Texas at Austin
Concepts Conveyed:
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