| MadSci Network: Physics |
Hello dsr: Your question is not trivial, but rather a very interesting one. Gyroscopes are objects that store large amounts of energy by means of a rotating mass. Indeed they appear to defy the law of gravity but there is no magic to it, just equilibrium of forces. Most of us are mystified by the behavior of these energy reservoirs because they are not familiar in our everyday experiences. I looked-up a couple of web sites that describe the mechanics of gyroscopic precess. They contain easy to understand explanations with plenty of illustrations. The "uk" site even discusses Professor Laithwaite's experiments in some detail. Gyroscopes are used extensively in navigation because of the inherent inertial effect and predictable precess behavior. They are commonly referred to as "inertial platforms", which they are. Stored rotational energy provides a considerable reaction to a much lesser input force creating the magical illusion of a lot for a little! Please take time to review the information on these two websites. Any more explanation here would fall short of the illustrations shown with the text. I encourage your curiosity! Your MAD.SCI Micro http://www.howstuffworks.com/gyroscope.htm http://www.gyro-scope.co.uk/
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