Fascinating Video: But why does it do this?

[PeteMorris]

http://www.wimp.com/zero-gravity-knob-in-space/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=video/

 

I happened across a video today: Showing a Tee-Handle in space, with zero gravity. I was fascinated, how the handle 'flips' while in motion. Apparently it's something to do with "Moment of Inertia" So I googled that, and I'm afraid it's beyond me! I have no idea what it's waffling on about.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia

 

Can anyone explain in layman's terms what's actually going on?

[tinfoilhat]

No idea. But watch science of stupid on natgeo with Richard Hammond who will describe and explain that sort of thing through the medium of YouTube videos.

[flamingjimmy]

I suspect it has something to do with intermediate axis of rotation.

 

Bugger me if I'm gonna try to explain it to you I'm struggling with my physics degree at the moment, I remember a demonstration with a tennis racquet being thrown, but that's at least something to google for you.

[PeteMorris]

So basically, it's the irregular shape that's causing it?...I looked at a youtube video, where a book was spun about it's longest and shortest axis, and was stable (didn't 'flip'), but if it was spun not on one of those axes, then it appeared to flip, while rotating.

 

It's still a bizarre phenomenon though...

[Alcoblog]

http://www.wimp.com/zero-gravity-knob-in-space/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=video/

 

I happened across a video today: Showing a Tee-Handle in space, with zero gravity. I was fascinated, how the handle 'flips' while in motion. Apparently it's something to do with "Moment of Inertia" So I googled that, and I'm afraid it's beyond me! I have no idea what it's waffling on about.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia

 

Can anyone explain in layman's terms what's actually going on?

 

Ah … that old chestnut. The 'Why does the T-handle do this in space?' routine. (couldn't get a link to it on Pete's thing, so

it is in full zero gravity if it's the same one?)

 

Basically, its a new take on the old Mexican jumping bean trick footage. The T-handle has been craftily hollowed out by NASA and filled with a startled mini-ferret ('Mustela putorious tinycus' in it's native Italian parlance).

As soon as the astronaut annoys the hell out of it by waking it from it's pleasant weightless space sleep in a spinny fashion, the ferret doesn't know what the hell's happening and runs all up and down the inside of the handle in apoplectic space rage, causing the handle to jump all over the place as if daemonically possessed. Nothing to do with 'moment of inertia', more to do with 'moment a space cadet tries to centrifuge my teeth out'.

 

Obviously, you can't repeat this trick on Earth as gravity would make it fall onto the floor.

That's why anyway.

[PeteMorris]

Ah … that old chestnut. The 'Why does the T-handle do this in space?' routine. (couldn't get a link to it on Pete's thing, so

it is in full zero gravity if it's the same one?)

 

Basically, its a new take on the old Mexican jumping bean trick footage. The T-handle has been craftily hollowed out by NASA and filled with a startled mini-ferret ('Mustela putorious tinycus' in it's native Italian parlance).

As soon as the astronaut annoys the hell out of it by waking it from it's pleasant weightless space sleep in a spinny fashion, the ferret doesn't know what the hell's happening and runs all up and down the inside of the handle in apoplectic space rage, causing the handle to jump all over the place as if daemonically possessed. Nothing to do with 'moment of inertia', more to do with 'moment a space cadet tries to centrifuge my teeth out'.

 

Obviously, you can't repeat this trick on Earth as gravity would make it fall onto the floor.

That's why anyway.

 

Did anyone mention Alco?...You have a particularly warped mind! But it's VERY funny!!!...They do say insanity and Genius are very closely linked...I'd err on the side of Genius

[Mikes10]

Did you ever play with a gyroscope when you were a kid?

 

The T-handle will have a Centre of Mass, unfortunately the force applied is not at right-angles to the CoM, so

the object is 'searching' for a stable condition in which to rotate, looking at the video there appears to be several

near-stable states.

 

 

Here is a video of a the earth bound equivalent, get yourself a marble some plastic and make one.

 

[Alcoblog]

Did anyone mention Alco?...You have a particularly warped mind! But it's VERY funny!!!...They do say insanity and Genius are very closely linked...I'd err on the side of Genius

My girlfriend errs on the side of gross stupidity so far as anything to do with me is concerned.

Do you not think that the T-handle bears an uncanny resemblance to a miniature space station for ferrets though?

[RootsBooster]

Did anyone mention Alco?...You have a particularly warped mind! But it's VERY funny!!!...They do say insanity and Genius are very closely linked...I'd err on the side of Genius

 

Alco clearly applied Occam's razor, I wouldn't mock him!

[Alcoblog]

Alco clearly applied Occam's razor, I wouldn't mock him!

 

 

Yes … as well as the laws of parsimony, my razor also comes fully equipped with with an Occam's throat cutting option too. Mock me at your peril!