4. Give the CD a good spin. As it s spinning, swing the string again. Observe how the CD moves. Describe what you observe:

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1 Names: The Power of Spin Per. Final Stamp Vocabulary: Gyroscope Effect/Principle Gyroscope Inertia Angular Momentum Exploration #1: The Effect of Spin Materials: CD Crayon String Procedure: 1. Tie a crayon to one end of your string and slip the string through the hole in the CD. 2. Hold the end of the string and let the CD hang free at the other end. 3. Swing it gently back and forth and observe how it moves. Is the CD stable or does it wobble? Describe what you observe: 4. Give the CD a good spin. As it s spinning, swing the string again. Observe how the CD moves. Describe what you observe: 5. Repeat 3 and 4 a few times to make sure your observations are reliable. Then describe the difference between the two. **Gyroscopic Effect or Gyroscopic Principle: _ Page 1 of 8

2 Exploration #2: Balancing a Pencil on its Tip Materials: Pencil CD Tape Procedure: 1. Balance a pencil on its tip. List the challenges you encounter: What force(s) are working against this? 2. Brainstorm possible ways to use your materials to solve this challenge. (Hint: think back on the last experiment). List your ideas, test them, and record the results in the table below. Ideas Results 3. Draw the successful design below. Gyro Basics to get a Gyroscope Exploration #3: Balancing Act New Materials: Gyroscope Procedure: 1. Balance the gyroscope on one finger. 2. List the challenges you encounter: 3. How can you solve this challenge? (Hint: think back on the last two experiments). Page 2 of 8

3 4. List your ideas, test them, and record the results below. Ideas Results 5. Explain why your solution worked. 6. Balance the gyroscope on the tip of a pencil and on the string. Exploration #4: Gyroscopic Inertia 7. **Gyroscopic Inertia: Axis of Spin (Rotational Axis) The rotation of the disk (rotor) is centered around the Axis of Spin (also called the Axis of Rotation or Rotational Axis). The CD top you made in Experiment 2 also has an axis of spin. 1. Which spins longer, the CD top or the gyroscope? Why? 2. What was the axis of spin on the CD top? 3. How is the axis of spin for the CD top and the gyroscope different? 4. What is the result of this difference? 5. Which is more stable, the CD top or the gyroscope? 6. Axis and axle come from the same root word. How are these similar? 7. What else can you name with an axis of spin? 8. What is the overall effect of spin? 9. The Earth is a big spinning top. What is the Earth s axis of spin? Page 3 of 8

4 Gyro History Leon Foucault The invention of the gyroscope is often attributed to Leon Foucault, a French scientist who gave it the name and conducted many experiments using gyroscopes. In 1852, he used a gyroscope to demonstrate that the Earth is rotating. Write two key ideas about each of these three inventors: 1. Von Bohnenberger a. b. 2. Faucault a. b. 3. Sperry a. b. Page 4 of 8

5 Exploration #5: Gyrocompas The Earth has a magnetic field. Scientists theorize that this magnetic field is caused by the difference in the spin between the Earth s solid inner iron core and the liquid iron shell surrounding it, which creates circulating electric currents through what is called the dynamo effect (this acts like an electric generator). The magnetic field of the Earth can be pictured by imagining a bar magnet inside the Earth, slightly tilted by 11 o from the axis of spin. The exact locations of the magnetic poles vary from day to day and year to year due to movements and turbulence within the Earth s liquid iron core. The magnetic north pole has been moving every year since it was discovered in It is currently moving about 25 miles to the northwest every year. Page 5 of 8

6 Exploration #6: Aerospace Applications Page 6 of 8

7 Exploration #7: How do Gyros Respond to Outside Force? Procedure: Exploration #8: Conservation of Angular Momentum **Conservation of Angular Momentum: Page 7 of 8

8 Exploration #9: Suspending a Spinning Gyroscope This is one of the most impressive demonstrations of precession. Most people expect the end of the gyro to fall due to gravity and are very surprised when it beings to rotate around the string. 4. How does the gyroscope resist the external force of gravity pulling down on the axis? Page 8 of 8