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DIY Mechanical Gyro

A gyroscope, or gyro, is a device that balances itself through centripetal force. The gyroscope contains a mechanism made up of one or more wheels, which are set in motion mechanically or by hand. The spinning wheels are the source of the centripetal force, whose outward pull causes the gyroscope to stand back up whenever it begins to tip. You can build a simple gyroscope with a bicycle wheel and some parts from your local hardware store. This gyroscope can be used to demonstrate centripetal force to children or students.

Things You'll Need

2 plastic handles
Bicycle wheel
2 Plastic spoke guards

Instructions

- 1
  Check the size of the bicycle wheel's spoke. Hardware stores sell different sizes of plastic handles, and bicycle wheels have different spoke sizes, so you will need to find the correct handle size for the spoke of the wheel you're using. Take the measurement with you.
- 2
  Remove the nuts from the sides of the bicycle wheel to make enough room on the axle for your screw-on handle. Place the plastic spoke guards on first to prevent your fingers from being caught in the spokes.
- 3
  Screw the plastic handles onto the wheel's spoke. If you can't screw the handles on, you may need to glue the spoke guards onto the handles if the handles cannot be screwed on. If you choose to do this, make sure the handles are loose around the axle.
- 4
  Hold the gyroscope in one hand and use the other to spin it, or hold onto both handles and have someone else spin the wheel for you. Try tilting the handles left or right, and you will find that the wheel tugs itself back into position each time. This is the self-balancing principle on which gyroscopes operate.

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