Post by Odysseus on Sept 2, 2020 1:41:58 GMT
I ran across a fascinating Youtube video about an apparent anomaly discovered about various spinning objects. For example, if one were to try to flip a tennis racket held flat end to end, 360 degrees, it will of course do that, but the face of the racket will also turn around during the flip, where the racket face that was pointing up will now be pointed down, and this cannot be stopped.
It is a phenomenon associated with what is called the intermediate moment of inertia. It can be explained with complicated mathematical equations, or you can just watch this video for what is claimed to be an intuitive explanation. Since I am not a mathematician per se, I prefer the intuitive, although I confess I'll have to roll that over in my mind for a bit to find the intermediate moment of understanding.
Enjoy: