Conceptual Gyroscopic Precession

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From: Jon Christensen (jonnchristensen@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Dec 20 2004 - 19:29:28 PST 

Message-ID: <20041221032928.78709.qmail@web52009.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:29:28 -0800 (PST)
From: Jon Christensen <jonnchristensen@yahoo.com>
Subject: Conceptual Gyroscopic Precession

Hi Pinhole,

I teach AP Mechanics and I was going through gyroscopic precession
using a discussion of angular momentum and the explanation of how a
torque vector changes the direction of the angular momentum vector, so
it can change the direction of the angular momentum of a spinning
object by the 90 degree allignment of the torque and angular momentum.
I have been looking for a more conceptual explanation of this
phoenomena, the use of hand rules works, but why does it work? It
seems strange that a torque is actually "acting" where your thumb
points, when it tends to make very different motions most of the time.
This situation may all come back to the representation of angular
quantities allong the axis of rotation, which would explaing why the
torque vector and angular momentum vectors point the way they do.

Can anyone fill me in or point me in the direction of a helpful website
or text?

Thanks,
Jon Christensen

Physics - UHS

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