Gyroscopic Effects on Bicycle wheels. Demo from Mr. Herbert's Science Class.

[RTatBstoke]

This reminds me of a demo we use to do at Sperry on open days.

[jasmine2501]

First time I saw this was in college physics. It is such a simple experiment to run - after you've derived all the formulas describing it, then it's cool to see it in action. The direction is always the same as long as you're in this universe.

[MMX3SE]

This is one of the reason that bicycle works.

[panther3002]

Sorry for all the posts, but gyroscopic precession I believe is also why a very aerobatic plane snap-rolls right (clockwise in the roll axis when viewed from the tail) when heavy up-elevator is applied (again, assuming Clock-Wise rotation of the prop when viewed from the cockpit). This is because the downward tail motion affects the prop rotation, and by gyroscopic precession, creates a hard right yaw. Get a plane with a short fuselage and huge elevator and give it a shot. Just pull back hard.

[panther3002]

PS. The direction of gyroscopic precession can be determined using a somewhat confusing application of the right hand rule.It goes like this: (Axis of Rotation) x (axis of applied torque) = (direction of precessional rotation). Note that the "x" here denotes cross product.1 more neat fact Dave. On a tail-dragger airplane, (assuming CW-rotating prop from the cockpit view), as the tail lifts up, extra Right rudder is needed to counter gyroscopic precession induced by the torque of the rising tail.

[Bthackrey]

it works better with a piece of string !!

[bayareaheli]

Can I mount this on my helicopter?

Dave why arnt you flying? :(

[raykiii]

Way cool. I think I like these videos of yours the best because I get to take the knowledge with me.

[gmoneyhobbit]

very cool science and a nifty trick to show some people. btw i dont recognize your stage area for this video. your garage/shop still?

[dmerc00]

And that is why it's hard to learn to ride a bike by going really slow.

Beginners like to go slow to start with but are very wobbly without the gyro effect.

But going fast is so scary i know.

[MrArii1998]

Does the size of the tire mean anything to the rotation?

[GaryGraham66]

Nice one Dave, have you tried rolling a bike down a hill with no one on it?

Try it after reversing the front forks so they point backwards the result may surprise you.

[ramis182]

I've always loved going to science museums and standing in a turn table while holding a bike wheel and spinning! Great video!

[MrJonnymellor]

Here's to Dad's and old crusty physics teachers! I too played with those classic gyroscope toys both the plastic one with the rubber tip you wear out on the floor and the metal one with the string.Cool stuff,thanks Dave for more educational entertainment.

[flyingchimp99]

hasn't been a science class in a whole while!!! haha.....and a bit of a science correction. all objects with mass have gravity..... doesn't matter if they are spinning or not, its not earths motion that creates gravity but its HUGE mass.

[WildBobsRC]

HeHe, ya, pretty cool Dave, would of never known that wheel would of done that,lol, Good job!~Bob

[Flash1940]

Makes no difference whether you're South or North of the Equator....Earth rotation is NOT what causes precession.....it's the torque created by the wheel's weight due to gravity. Precession would not be observed up on the ISS. Supporting the wheel on the other side causes precession in the opposite direction.

Instead of your finger....hang it from a cord attached to the ceiling....your students will love it....mine thought I was a magician. I wasn't......just their old crusty Physics teacher



[p3x197]

Already knew that

[NightFlyyer]

Now that I have found out who is clicking thumbs down on my vids, I find it is the same "friend", I thought was a friend! Hmmm!

[RCWilliam123]

@NightFlyyer Forget that "friend". Just gave you thumbs up, and my first comment since I signed up to you months ago. THANK YOU so much for your time and knowledge. Keep em coming. William.

[spektrum33]

Always entertaining to watch {"_*} now that would be a great trick to play at a party just to see what would happen ...

[NightFlyyer]

@spektrum33 Thanks kindly sir. Give it a go..

[Opinionator52]

Very cool! I saw a similar demo in a seventh science demonstration by IBM! At the same time they showed off the new air bearing like we still have in our hard drives today, invented by a current, good friends father... The vertical disc spun throughout the the entire 1 1/2 hour class...

O,

[stoneddoggie]

Smart man!

[TastyChevelle]

so it doesn't work if your aren't turning your body right or left?

[NightFlyyer]

@TastyChevelle Of courese it works, it is just that I follow the precessing. It would go a lot slower the faster you spin the wheel or gyro. Even with both axles fixed like on the bicycle fork, the wheel will precess or Rotate. Thanks.

[Egg3141592654]

Remember kids, Linear Momentum must be conserved, so you are robbing the earth of some rotational energy!

[NightFlyyer]

@Egg3141592654 Haha. I'm smiling over that one. Thanks. 

[gmorris357]

Have you seen the mighty cheese? its an old side show thing .its a wheel of cheese with a steel wheel inside that cant be pushed over.

[CommanderGalos]

Mr. Herbert... this only proves an axiom that I heard of a couple decades ago.

"You don't get older, you just get wiser."

Besides, this is a great alternative project from all those model vocanoes that innundate science fairs! ;)

[NightFlyyer]

@CommanderGalos Thanks kindly for your comments. I agree, and am laughing at your statement, cause it is so true about the Volcano Models. Hahaha.

[mbs306]

CONSERVATION OF MOTION!!! i am learning this in physics!

[steveshlacker]

Thats awesome Dave :) I subscribed to your channel originally for RC airplane stuff, but I am constantly entertained by everything you post. I will now show my kids this trick like your dad showed you! I'd totally give you a hug if I met ya :) Take care!

[NightFlyyer]

@steveshlacker Thanks very kindly. I appreciate your loyalty and support. Hope the kids like it too.

[MrArii1998]

Thats pretty cool

[adamitshelanu]

The bigger "mystery" is why the front wheel fork on a bicycle must be slanted in order for the cycle to have riding stability. :^)

That crook in the front fork of your bike provides the "slant."

[SlyDawg951]

Very nice, that proves you are never too old to get smarter or know some thing new also, keep then coming Dave

[NightFlyyer]

@SlyDawg951 Thanks kindly. I appreciate that.

[NightFlyyer]

@SlyDawg951 Thanks very kindly. I am getting old too, and even surprise myself sometimes. Thanks again.

[MidnightHeli]

Hi Dave I do not agree with that the motion to the right or left has to do with earths rotation. more with Gyroscopic precession, that say something like this ''if you apply a force to a rotating body the force will be 90 degrees later on the object''. So the only force acting on the wheel is gravity that is pulling the top of the object down, during rotation the object moves sideway 90 degrees further. If you hit the wheel on the side the top bottom will move. Nice video. Keep the good work

[brotherblonde]

@MidnightHeli I agree with you. Also you could say that there is a force, Upwards, on the axle where the finger is "holding" it, this would be the same as pushing outwards on the wheel at the top. This upwards/sidewards force is translated 90' as you said. (I think you explained it better so I'll be quiet now). :)

[NightFlyyer]

@MidnightHeli Yes, but on the other side of the equator, it should spin in opposite directions to this like a toilet bowl flush. I havent tried it below the equator, but will do more research. Thanks for your comments.

[MidnightHeli]

@NightFlyyer No idea if on the other side of the equator it spin the other way. Could not find any info about this on the net of my flying books. The only thing I know is, when I fly a real propeller airplane, during take off and because of the gyroscopic precession caused by the propeller the tail will go to the left when you raise the nose and you must give some right rudder to keep straight. Is it the opposite below the equator ??????

[NightFlyyer]

@MidnightHeli That is due to torque, not gyroscopic precessing.

[aeroliner750]

@NightFlyyer yes oilet bowls and water draining from a sink will drain in the opposit direction from north of the equator

[panther3002]

@MidnightHeli I agree with you. It doesn't have anything to do with the earth's rotation. The earths rotation may create a force which affects the earth's spatial orbit around the sun, but it does not affect gyroscopes on earth. Also Dave, I love your videos, and I know you know a ton more than I on many topics, but gravity isn't created by the spinning of the earth either. It is a force due strictly to the mass of the earth. What you are thinking about is "artificially-induced gravity", ...

[panther3002]

@MidnightHeli ..(from my previous post)...which is created be centrifugal force when a person is on the *inside* of a rotating disk. The spinning then causes a force which would feel like gravity if the rotating disk were substantially large, so as to appear relatively flat, & the person were walking around the outside edge of it (on the inside side), with their head towards the center.This is hard to explain. I'd need to draw a picture. :) Thanks for the video though Dave! Gyroscopes are neat!

[bradleyfsx]

Physics, mind boggling!

[NightFlyyer]

@bradleyfsx That is for sure. Thanks.

[thehappyapplecrew]

very cool

[NightFlyyer]

@thehappyapplecrew Thanks kindly.

[Medreth]

Dave,

Great video! I liked it so much that I went online and looked at the physics behind this phenomenon. From my very small amount of research, I found that the hemisphere that you perform this experiment in should not affect the results. I may be wrong, though. Could explain? Thanks!

[NightFlyyer]

@Medreth I havent tried it below the equator, buy have been told it is like the toilet flush. Below the equator it flushes different. Thanks.

[efedude77]

Very interesting

[NightFlyyer]

@efedude77 Thanks very much.

[IndyColts1885]

Thanks! That is really something! Great job!

[IndyColts1885]

Thanks! That is really something! Great job!

[RcUniverseGuy]

i dont think im winning any bets lol i thought SPIN IT!! before the video even started lol

[tritonio]

Spin !! 

[DAMIENloh1970]

Neat trick!

[panglongyui]

second



[baalisgod666]

I remember one of the early tokamac reactors had a wobble in the spinning plasma which translated into vertical motion. The 200 ton device lifted 2cm and move the same laterally and then dropped.

The plasma worked just like a gyroscope.

[baliblades]

first