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Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
By:NPenney
Date: 6/17/1998, 2:59 pm
In Response To: Re: Gyroscopic cancellation (Mark Kanzler)

Sure it works. You've just got to remember that you're only seeing the reaction force at one end of a gyroscope only. The right hand is showing the force on the thumb end. You've got to remember there's an opposite force on the other end. Gyroscopes react by twisting, not simply displacing as in rising up with your finger.

To use your left hand properly as a second gyro, you've got to hold your fist facing *down*. Do that, compare it with your right fist/gyro, and you'll see reversed rotation, and reversed forces at the same end of the gyro. Once you've got that, we'll progress to step two.

Step two.

Lets play here. Use your right hand gyro, twist it so your thumb points towards your face (clockwise rotation if viewed from the top, by twisting the forearm). Moving it like that will make your fist/gyro react by lifting the thumb end *and lowering the pinkie end*. We'll call that a counter-clockwise reaction. Do this until you've got it visualized.

Step three.

Now go to the left hand fist/gyro, and rotate it in the same direction as you just rotated your right hand fist/gyro. You'll notice that this gyro reacts in the opposite direction, twisting in a clockwise direction.

Step four.

Now start working both fist/gyros at the same time. The right hand fist/gyro reacts counter-clockwise, the left hand fist/gyro reacts clockwise. Both cancel each others reaction out.

Addendum.

The only things seeing the reactions of this are the members joining the two together. That's why they are usually ganged together close by and quite strongly. Then, as in the case of that gyro race car, there is no torque reaction experienced by the car. It will be completely contained within the gyro assembly.

Now, if you did put one gyroscope at one end of the car, and the other at the other end of the car, you would impart all sorts of torsional stresses on the entire chassis of the car. Same a kayak in fact. While the kayak would be gyroscopically neutral, it would be twisted and ripped apart by the force vectors going through it by the two opposed gyroscopes.

> It doesn't work if you try to use the other hand for the second
> gyro! I need two right hands.

Messages In This Thread

Re: Another way to combine bicycling and kayaking
David Dick -- 6/17/1998, 5:08 am
Re: Gyroscopic stabilization (cont'd)
Mark Kanzler -- 6/17/1998, 11:23 am
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
NPenney -- 6/17/1998, 2:20 pm
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
Mark Kanzler -- 6/19/1998, 7:12 pm
Re: Gyroscopic question (again)
Mark Kanzler -- 6/19/1998, 7:02 pm
Re: Gyro question (again) / Paddle design
David Dick -- 6/20/1998, 6:30 am
Re: Paddle design, how is it done?
Mark Kanzler -- 6/20/1998, 10:34 am
Re: Gyroscopic question (again)
David Dick -- 6/20/1998, 6:21 am
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
David Dick -- 6/17/1998, 9:38 pm
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
NPenney -- 6/18/1998, 7:36 am
Re: Maybe curiousity and a sense of wonder is why some build their own kayaks, eh?
Mark Kanzler -- 6/19/1998, 7:25 pm
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
Karl Kulp -- 6/18/1998, 11:24 am
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
Mark Kanzler -- 6/17/1998, 2:33 pm
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
NPenney -- 6/17/1998, 2:59 pm
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
Mark Kanzler -- 6/17/1998, 4:11 pm
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
NPenney -- 6/18/1998, 7:02 am
Re: Gyroscopic cancellation
Mark Kanzler -- 6/19/1998, 7:17 pm
Re: Gyroscopic stabilization (cont'd)
David Dick -- 6/17/1998, 1:40 pm
Re: Instability vs. Induced Oscillation
Mark Kanzler -- 6/17/1998, 2:12 pm