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Blazing goIITian

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4 Oct 2009 16:22:29 IST

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Bicycle balance!

Physics , Mechanics , Kinematics , NewtonsLawsCirMotion , Work Power Energy collisions , Rotation , Gravitation , Simple Harmonic Motion , Fluid Mechanics , Materials Wave Sound , Super Position , units dimensions , com momentum , shm , wave sound

Lets see who can figure this one out!

Why is it easy to balance on a moving bicycle while it is difficult to balance on a stationary one.(Without stands, and ur legs not touching d ground!)

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viv

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Joined: 10 Dec 2008

Posts: 44

4 Oct 2009 19:58:27 IST

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cause the wheels act like gyroscopes. They have momentum going around in circles and there would have to be stronger forces to tip them off balance. The stationary bike has no momentum in the wheels so you don't need as strong a force to tip it.

It isn't really so much because the bike is moving forward as because the wheels are moving around in circles.

When an object is moving, even if you stop pushing it, it will keep moving unless something stops it. This is called momentum. When a wheel is spinning. It wants to keep spinning in the same exact direction because it has 'angular momentum'. You have to knock the spinning wheel harder (apply a larger torque) to change the direction of this angular momentum than if the wheel was not spinning. That is the gyroscope effect.

(SOURCE : Yahoo answers)

Can anyone explain what happens at the end of this video ?? Is it too based on gyroscopic effect??

http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/3301-waves-on-a-chain

viv

Cool goIITian

Joined: 10 Dec 2008

Posts: 44

4 Oct 2009 20:03:41 IST

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Also see this:

http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/717-mit-physics-demo----bicycle-wheel-gyroscope

djdylan2000. bits goa eee

Blazing goIITian

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4 Oct 2009 21:16:44 IST

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perfect answer m8!

Parichya Gautam

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5 Oct 2009 00:02:18 IST

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ummmmm ... what i feel is tht ... it's not tht dificult 2 do tht ... bt the only thing is tht our body can.t be in acomplete state of rest ... ie. doesn't do any movement...... so ...it in turn 'hilaos' the complete system ...and thus ............. ;-) wt say ?????????

viv

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Joined: 10 Dec 2008

Posts: 44

6 Oct 2009 11:19:01 IST

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ahhh even if it 'hilaos' the system , the gyroscopic effect & the friction by the ground should be enough to prevent the disbalance......

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