Also known as the Tennis Racket Theorem. Or intermediate axis theorem.
When a gyroscope spins it stays upright because the spinning weight at its core resists any attempts to knock it off its access. This is called rotational inertia. Inertia refers to the tendency for moving objects to remain moving or stationary ones to remain still; unless acted upon by forces. You may recognise this as Newton’s First Law of Motion.
A T-shaped object, when spun will form one stable axis (the crossbar piece) and one unstable axis – the upright bit (or intermediate axis). If you spin such an object in the weightless conditions of the International Space Station then you see the following cool effect as the unstable axis switches back and forth.
No questions for this one. I just think it is cool.
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