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A DIY Gyroscope

Gyroscopes do everything from entertaining children to balancing the space shuttle. Gyroscopes go back to the seafaring days of the 18th century. Sailors noticed a spinning top aligned itself with the horizon. The toy became a valuable tool and showed if the ship was listing during storms or fog. The principle of a gyroscope is simple. The center of the scope is lighter than the weighted outer rim of the rotating wheel. The centrifugal force created as the wheel rotates keeps the wheel in either a horizontal or a vertical plane.

Things You'll Need

Bicycle wheel
Adjustable wrench
Screw-on handles
Solid tire
Screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the nuts from the axle of the bicycle tire with the adjustable wrench. These nuts hold the tire to the fork of the bicycle and aren't needed for the gyroscope.
- 2
  Screw the handles onto either end of the axle.
- 3
  Pull the inflatable tire from the rim of the wheel and discard. Place the solid tire on the rim. Use the screwdriver to slip the edge of the solid tire inside the rim. You can find solid tires on stationary bikes. If you can't find a solid tire, choose the heaviest tire available.
- 4
  Holding both handles, ask someone else to start the tire rotating on the axle. The faster the tire rotates, the harder it is to tilt the tire.
- 5
  Hold the wheel so that it is parallel to the floor. Ask someone else to push the wheel until it rotates at a high speed. While spinning the gyroscope balances on the bottom handle in the palm of your hand.

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