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 Force-free precession of a
spinning plate
J C Martinez
Mathematics and Science Centre, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, 535 Clementi Road, Singapore 2159
Received 4 October 1991
Abstract. The dynamics of a farce-free spinning plate
with a small wobble angle is formulated exclusively in
terms of forces. I1 is shown that the wobbling can be
understood as the interplay between rotations about the
two principal axes of inertia lying on the plate.
1. introduction
The analysis of problems on rotational dynamics is
commonly and efficiently carried out by having
recourse to torque and angular-momentum con-
siderations. Nevertheless, it is well known that an
understanding of the physics of such problems does
not readily emerge even after a satisfactory solution
has been found. The effect of a force couple acting on
the axle of a spinning gyroscope is a familiar example.
It might be pointed out that one of the best known
efforts to trace the origins of rotational phenomena to
their most basic source is surely that of Feynman
(Feynman e l al 1965).
That the physics of rotating mechanical systems is
intriguing even now may be epitomized by Feynman's
own amusing story about the wobbling motion of a
plate spinning in the air (Phua 1989) (see figure I). He
studied the motion for small wobble angles and, in his
own words, 'worked out what the motion of the
mass particles was and how all the accelerations
balanced. . .'. Feynman implies that he solved the
problem using the more fundamental concept of force
instead of torque. Unfortunately, his solution never
seems to have appeared in print, although the
problem has been solved under different guises by
several authors (Landau and Lifshitz 1976, Kleppner
and Kolenkow 1973, Synge and Griffith 1960). This
article examines what we believe was Feynman's ver-
sion of it and emphasizes, as he was known to do, the
physical understanding of the wobbling motion of the
spinning plate. We will find that the wobbling motion
results from the interplay between rotations about the
two principal axes ofinertia lying on the plate. For the
sake of completeness the solution is described in some
detail.
Resumen. Las consideraciones dinamicas de una placa
que esta girando con un poco de bamboleo estan
formulado solo con el cnncepto de fuerza. Demonstramos
que el bamboleo se puede comprende come el juego entre
las vueltas sobre 10s dos ejes principales de inercia de la
Dhca.
2. The problem and its solutlon
We start with Newton's second law,
d
-p =F
df
which holds in any inertial coordinate system. Herep
is the total momentum of the body in question and F
the total force acting on it. As is well known, the
derivative in equation ( I ) should be computed in an
inertial system, hereinafter taken to be the laboratory.
On the other hand, a rotating (body) system, whose
axes coincidc with the principal axes of inertia of
the body, allows us to conveniently interrelate the
kinematical variables describing the instantaneous
motion. The relation between the two frames is easily
obtained. By recognizing that the rate of change of a
vector viewed in the laboratory frame is the sum of its
rate of change in the body frame plus its rate of
change due solely to the rotation of the body frame
itself, we may replace ( I ) by
;d'i i p t R x p = F
where the prime denotes differentiation in the rotating
system and R is the angular velocity of this same
system as viewed in the laboratory. In fact, the
prescription d/dl- d/dr + S2 x holds for any vector.
The problem we are interested in is the precession
motion of a plate spinning in the air and subject to no
forces. Without loss of generality, we may replace the
plate with a thin spinning hoop of radius R which
wobbles about its symmetry axis (figure 2). All the
essential features of the problem are found in this
simpler system. Let us assume for convenience that
 Farce-tree precession 01 a spinning plate 143

where Cl' = 8,;+ ; 0 From the definition (3), the

Figure 1. A spinning plate wobbling Slightly about the
vertical direction.
inirialty the hoop lies flat on the xy plane and rotates
with arbitrary angular velocity R. This can always be
done. Then any point on the hoop is given initially, in
the 'hoop' frame, by
<a) = R(cosiu'+ Sinai) (3)
a being the angle measured from the x axis fixed on
the hoop frame. Although the hoop is flat on the xy
plane, its angular velocity is not wholly along the z
axis. We will then write the angular velocity as
= U&+ B,i+ 0,;
where w = da/dt, the spin velocity and 8, and 0, a r e
velocity components in the instantaneous i and j
directions. Weassumed, and 8, to be small compared
with w , so that the small angle approximation may be
used. The instantaneous velocity of the point <a) as
observed in the laboratory frame is
"(E) = n x r(a)
= R[m(- sin&+ cosai)
+(8,sina -&cosa)Q. (5)
If we refer to our prescription (2) above for calculat-
ing the rate of change of a vector in the laboratory
frame, we see that u(a) may be cast as
Figure 2. Kinematics 01 a rotating hoop 01 radius R.
z the frame is spinning without wobbling. Thus let us,
rotation about the z axis is already accounted for by
the time derivative in (6). We will use (6) as our new
prescription for calculating the rate of change of
momentum in the laboratory frame, given the
kinematic relation (3). In fact (6) is the correct time
derivative operator relating quantities in the 'hoop'
frame with their corresponding equivalents in the
laboratory frame, and we will use it to write down
1
. 9.1 '-^_ L,
.-
,*cw1011 5 raw 101 our y,""lsl,r.
To first order in 8, and d,, we find
Cl' x U = Ro(0,cosa + 8,sina)R
d'
-U
df
= - w'r(a) + Rei( - sin&+ cos ai)
+ cosa(o0, - OV)& + sin u(w8, + #,)&. (7)
In the laboratory frame the force equation on a mass
element of mass m at r(a) is then
f l R m = -w'P-ciPx &+cosa(2o4,-~,)&
(4) + sin ~(200, + Ox)& (8)
where Pis the unit radius vector in the xy plane and
f is the total force, including constraints, acting on m.
Since the hoop is a rigid body, the centrifugal force
-mRo'P will cancel when the entire hoop is con-
sidered. Moreover, the sum of all other terms in (8)
for allelements of the hoop must vanish for force-free
motion. Then ci = 0 so that the spin rate is constant
in time. Finally we have from (8) the coupled system
.P :--.
"L squa,ru,r>.
200, - gY = n 2d, + #, = n. (9)
3. Discussion
Before proceeding to give !hp solution of (I)), !e? us
trace its physical origin. We simplify matters further
by replacing the hoop by four equal masses m mounted
at the ends of a cross-shaped frame of negligible mass
(figure 3). The essential features of the analysis above
are retained by this system. Initially, we assume that
for the moment, choose II to be along the z axis. We
consider the effect of two forces F and - F acting for
a short time interval on masses 1 and 3. As the
diagram shows, these masses have instantaneous
velocities in the x direction. The application of F and
- Fintroduces a component of velocity along z which
leads to the rotation of thecross about they axis. This
is, the couple F and - F introduce a rotation 8, as
shown in i'ne figure. Ey ihe same ioken, a coipie

I
.I acting on masses 2 and 4 would induce a rotation 0,.
about the x axis. As emphasized by Edwards (1977),
this reasoning leads to aphysical understanding of the

,
4
0
gyroscope effect.
Suppose now that R is no longer along the z axis.
X Let R have a small component on the xy plane as
144 JC Martinez
z similar analysis may be carried out for the rest. (The
I contribution arising from N x v, or more correctly
I this force for the entire system vanishes as noted
+%---y
0
I
x Finally the system (9) is easily solved by differen-
Flour0 3. Fourequal masses mounted on across-
shaped frame of negligible mass and rotating about the
I axis.
before. With the same couple F and - F on masses I
and 3, we already noted a rotation about they axis. In
the rotating frame this F is just the product of m and
the acceleration of mass 2, which is in the z direction.
Transforming to the laboratory frame this force is just
m($+Nx)v
according to our prescription and, on taking the 2-
component of this expression, we have
since mass 2 has velocity -Rwi(to first order in 8,
and 6 y ) . One recognizes here the coefficient of the
term containing Gcos a in equation (7). Thus equation
(IO) gives the z component of the force transmitted to
mass 2 due to a force couple on masses I and 3. A
fl x v, isjust the centrifugal force and the resultant of
above.)
Closer examination of (8) reveals an interplay of
rotations along the x and y axes. Thus an angular
acceleration (B,) must be supplemented, because of
spin, by an angular velocity 6, (4,). This introduces a
kind of feedback behaviour between the rotations
about these axes. Hence, it comes as no surprise that
the solutions of (9) are oscillatory in nature. We can
also see that this interplay is absent for a rod, so there
is no wobbling for this case.
tiating both equations and eliminating variables.
Choosing for our initial conditions 9, = 9, and 0, = 0
when f = 0, we find
9, = 0,cos20l
9, = O0sin2ot.
Thus the wobble rate is twice the spin rate. Further
discussion about this solution may be found in a
number of texts (e.g. Kleppner and Kolenkow 1973).
References
Edwards P L 1977 Am. J . Phys. 45 194
Feynman R P, Leighton R and Sands M 1965, The
Feynmon Leerures on Physics, (Reading, M A Addison-
Wesley).
Kleppner D and Kolenkow R 1973 An lnlroduction lo
Mechanics (New York McGraw-Hill) p 317
Landau L D and Lifshitz E M 1976 Mechanics (New
York Pergamon) p I I5
Phua K K 1989 A LiJe of Physics (Singapore: World
Scientific)
Synge I and Griffith B 1960 Principles OJMechOnics (New
York: McGraw-Hill) ch 14