Rotational Inertia Tops Study

thingiverse

Both the large and small rotational inertia top files in this project are of equal mass. The large inertia file has the majority of its mass out on a large radius away from the axis of rotation, while the small rotational inertia top has it centered around the axis of rotation. How I Designed This I based the rough size of these tops off of some gyroscopes I had lying around. Custom Section Project Project: This project is an interactive study of rotational inertia. It is meant to be a fun and engaging activity for students to observe the phenomenon of rotational inertia and its relationship, or lack thereof, to linear inertia. Audiences: This project is best suited for high school students. Preparation: This project should be an introductory experiment for the laws of rotational motion. Students should have at least an introduction to laws of motion and rotation. Preferably this experiment should take place after students have learned about linear inertia and before they learn about rotational inertia. Steps: Students should attempt to spin both the small and large inertia tops and see which one they can get to spin the longest. Mathematics say that the larger inertia top should maintain its rotation more easily. To take it a step further, each student's spin time for each top can be averaged to get a more scientific result. For some additional fun, instructors can also hold a contest to see who can get each top to spin the longest Results: Students should have a developed hands-on experience with rotational inertia, learning how it is different from linear inertia, and how mass is not the only factor that determines rotational inertia.