Gyroscopes & Precession
3D gyroscope. Builds on Angular Momentum.
You hold a spinning bicycle wheel by one end of its axle, with the axle horizontal. The wheel is spinning fast. You let go of the other end.
What happens?
The wheel doesn't fall — it precesses! The free end sweeps horizontally in a slow circle. Gravity's torque changes the direction of L, not its magnitude.
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Watch the spinning wheel precess instead of falling. Try changing the spin speed — faster spin = slower precession!
Ω = τ/L = mgd/Iω
Faster spin → bigger L → smaller Ω. The harder you spin, the slower it precesses!
Earth wobbles with a 26,000-year precession cycle, slowly changing which star is 'North'
A spinning front wheel resists tipping — gyroscopic forces help you balance
Aircraft gyroscopes maintain orientation regardless of how the plane turns
“Spin something fast enough, and gravity can't pull it down — only push it sideways.”
Gyroscope Lab
Control a virtual gyroscope. Adjust spin speed, tilt angle, and mass distribution to see how precession changes.
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Start with a fast-spinning wheel and watch the slow precession. Now reduce the spin to near-zero — watch it suddenly 'remember' gravity and fall. Find the spin speed where precession equals 1 revolution per 5 seconds.
Precession reveals that torque changes the direction of angular momentum, not its magnitude. This single insight explains bicycle stability, Earth's wobble, and gyroscopic navigation.