Re: Spinning Class Ring

[William Beaty <billb@ESKIMO.COM>]

On Mon, 6 May 2002, Ron Curtin wrote:

> A student asked me a question that I have heard before, but I don't know a
> good answer.  If you spin a class ring on a table top, it spins around so
> that the heavy part (the front of the ring) always moves up to a position
> furthest above the tabletop.  It doesn't matter if the heavy part of the
> ring starts at the bottom or at the top.  The student and I wonder why this
> happens.

There's a toy called "tipee-top" which does this.  I searched my "how
things work" links and found this:

  Spinning Class Ring
  http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/feb98/887490514.Ph.r.html

Jearle Walker, "Flying Circus of Physics"


For lots of these links, see:

  http://www.amasci.com/amateur/answers1.html


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