EXPERIMENT ON MOTORIZED GYROSCOPE

AIM

To conduct the experiment on motorized gyroscope and to compare the active and reactive
gyroscopic couple produced
Motorized Gyroscope, Tachometer, Stopwatch
SPECIFICATION

Mass of rotor
Disc rotor diameter
Rotor thickness
Distance between the disc centre and bolt centre

Principle
Let I be the moment of inertia of the rotor and ω its angular velocity about a horizontal axis
of spin ox in the direction as shown in the figure. Let this axis of spin turns through a small
angle δθ in the horizontal plane xy to the position ox’ in time δt. Figure b represents the vector
diagram. OA represents the angular velocity vector when the axis is ox and OB represent
angular velocity vector when axis is changed to ox’. Then AB represents change in angular
velocity due to change in the direction of axis of spin of the rotor. This change in angular
velocity is clock wise when viewed from A to B and is in the vertical plane XZ.

Change in angular velocity = ab = ω*δθ

𝛿𝜃
Angular acceleration α=ω 𝛿𝑡
𝛿𝜃
In the limit when δt 0, α= ω 𝛿𝑡

𝑑𝜃
Usually, 𝑑𝑡 the angular velocity of the axis of spin is called angular velocity of precision and is
denoted by ωp. Therefore, Angular acceleration α=ωωp.

The torque required to produce this acceleration is known as gyroscopic torque and is a
couple that must be applied to the axis of the spin to cause it to rotate with angular velocity
ωp about the axis of precession OZ
Accelerating Torque T= I α = Iωωp.
The torque obtained above is that which is required to cause the axis of the spin to precess in
the horizontal plane is known as active gyroscopic torque or the applied torque. A reactive
gyroscopic couple will also applied to the axis which tends to rotate the axis of the spin in
opposite direction

Observation

SL Weight N(RPM) Time required Angular Actual Torque Theoretical

No (kg) for velocity torque
precession(dt) of
precision
Sample calculation
Theoretical gyroscopic couple = = Iωωpkg-m
I=mr2/2 kg-msec2
2𝜋𝑁
ω= Angular velocity of the disc = 60 rad/sec
𝑑𝜃 𝜋
Angular velocity of precession ωp = 𝑥 180 rad/s =
𝑑𝑡
Actual Torque=WLkg-m
𝑑𝜃=Angle of precision
dt = Time required for precision
g= Acceleration due to gravity
I= Moment of Inertia of disc kg-m sec 2
L= Distance of weight from the centre of the disc,m
N= RPM of the disc spin
r= radius of the disc
Tth= Theoretical gyroscopic couple
Tac= Actual gyroscopic couple
M= Mass of the disc =W/g
ω= Angular velocity of the disc
ωp = Angular velocity of precession
Result
The gyroscopic effect of motorized gyroscope is studied and the gyroscopic couple at various weight
is obtained

Inference