LABORATORY REPORT

MOTORIZED GYROSCOPE
AIM
To find the gyroscope couple on a motorized gyroscope experimentally and compare with
applied couple.

APPARATUS
Motorized gyroscope

THEORY
Precession a common lecture demonstration of gyroscopic precession is to hang a bicycle
wheel by one end of its axle. If the bicycle wheel is not spinning, it flops down. But if the
wheel is spinning, it doesn’t fall. Instead it precesses around: its axle rotates in a horizontal
plane.

The torque of the weight adds some spin about the y-axis, perpendicular to the original spin.
The resulting spin axis is turned a little in the xy-plane. The torque doesn’t change the value
of the spin; instead it “curves” the spin.

This phenomemon can easily be studied by means of a gyroscope. If we attempt to move

some of its parts, it does not only resist this motion but even evades it. This resistance to
change in the direction of rotational axis is called the gyroscopic effect.
The gyroscopic couple is given as : C = I x ωp x ωs
PROCEDURE
➢ Balance initial horizontal position of rotor.
➢ Start the motor and adjust the voltage to get the constant speed.
➢ Press the yoke frame about the vertical axis by applying the necessary force by hand
in the clockwise direction viewed from the top.
➢ It will be observed that rotor frame swing about the horizontal axis so that the motor
side moves upwards.
➢ Balance the rotor in the horizontal plane.
➢ Start the motor and adjust the speed with the help of voltage regulation. The speed is
measured using a tachometer.
➢ Put weights on the side opposite to the motor.
➢ The yoke start precessing.
➢ Note down the direction of precession.
➢ Verify this direction
➢ Measure the velocity of precession using the pointer provided the yoke and stop
watch.
➢ Verify the relation C = I X w X wp

OBSERVATION
Technical Data :-

➢ Weight of Rotor : 6.3 kg.

➢ Rotor Diameter : 300 mm.
➢ Rotor Thickness : 10 mm.
➢ Moment of inertia of the disc, coupling and motor rotor : 0.071 kg.m²
(about the central axis)
➢ Distance of bolt of Weight pan from disc Center : 20 cms.
➢ Motor Fractional H.P. single phase. 6000 rpm -AC/DC
➢ Autotransformer provided for speed regulation.

Observation table :-

Sl Speed ω Weight δθ δt ωp = δθ/ δt Theoretical Gyroscopic

No. Rpm (rad/s) (kg) (deg) (s) Torque Couple
(WxL) I ωp ωs
(kgm)
1 1057 110.69 1 30 3.75 0.14 0.2 1.09
2 1057 110.69 1.5 30 2.85 0.18 0.3 1.41
3 1146 120.01 2 30 2.24 0.23 0.4 1.96
CALCULATION
➢ SPIN VELOCITY (ωs)
�
= ∗ � ��
�
= ∗ 1146
=120.01 rad/s
➢ PRECESSION VELOCITY (ωp)
�θ
=
��
�
8
∗
=
.
= 0.23 rad/s
➢ THEORETICAL TORQUE
= W*L
= 2 x 0.2
= 0.4 kg.m
➢ MOMENT OF INERTIA OF ROTOR (I)

��
=

. ∗ .
=

= 0.071 kg.m2
➢ GYROSCOPIC COUPLE
= I x ωs x ωp
= 0.071 x 120.01 x 0.23
= 1.96 kg.m

RESULT
The value of gyroscopic couple for 1 , 1.5 & 2 kgs are 1.09, 1.41 & 1.96 respectively
depending of different spin velocities
INFERENCE
We infer that the system tries to coincide its axis of precession with axis of spin due to which
it starts revolving which is result of resultant gyroscopic couple.
With increase in torque applied precession velocity also increases and also the resistance due
to friction decreases.

POINTS OF DISCUSSION
➢ With the horizontal force on the balancing weight, what is the precessional motion?
If we push the weight pan in clockwise direction as when viewed from above, motor side will
go vertically upwards, while weight pan goes vertically downwards.
➢ Why the precessional motion is stopping?
Theoretically the angular motion should not stop, but in practicality due to friction between
rotating parts of the gyroscope, the angular motion stops which can be reduced by proper
lubrication.
➢ Upon removal of the force, what happens and why?
Upon removal of the force the precession motion starts in reverse direction and weight pan
starts to return to its initial orientation and after some time the precession motion stops since
there is no gyroscopic couple acting now.
➢ If you start the experiment with a tilted axis, what happens to the initial tilt?
If the experiment is started with a tilted axis, such that weight pan is above the horizontal
plane and motor is below it the angle of tilt with respect to horizontal will decrease upto
horizontal plane or the weight pan will go below it.