2011-03-13, 03:16 AM
By the way, I don't understand tops and gyroscopes. I also don't understand torque in general. I know that the torque arises from τ = R x F, and that angular momentum is L = R x p, and a general diagram looks like this:
![[Image: angular.png]](http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/1457/angular.png)
The above is great and all, and I'm comfortable when I see something like it. However, I'm having great difficulty understanding when I see something like this:
![[Image: angular2.png]](http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4065/angular2.png)
Like what the hell? The torque can't come out of there, it's just not physically realizable. (If you don't understand what I'm talking about, open the next spoiler.
Because I'm actually desperate enough (and I'm literally freaking out about this angular crap for the final), I will reward a $10 NX card to the first person who can make me clearly understand the concepts of general rotations, tops, and gyroscope (all three) before TUESDAY (That is: Monday, March 14th, 2011 11:59 pm PST). Make diagrams, find online materials, whatever. If I understand your derivation, it's good. If multiple people try to help, I'll try to figure out how to distribute the rewards. (probably depending on the quality of the derivations).
Other: For tops, do not tell me that L is on the center of rotation, because that's not true. That's what my book tells me, and I'm not satisfied with that definition (nor do I understand this derivation). In fact, I'll post the page from my book.
If your derivation looks like the above page, it doesn't count.
The above is great and all, and I'm comfortable when I see something like it. However, I'm having great difficulty understanding when I see something like this:
Like what the hell? The torque can't come out of there, it's just not physically realizable. (If you don't understand what I'm talking about, open the next spoiler.
Because I'm actually desperate enough (and I'm literally freaking out about this angular crap for the final), I will reward a $10 NX card to the first person who can make me clearly understand the concepts of general rotations, tops, and gyroscope (all three) before TUESDAY (That is: Monday, March 14th, 2011 11:59 pm PST). Make diagrams, find online materials, whatever. If I understand your derivation, it's good. If multiple people try to help, I'll try to figure out how to distribute the rewards. (probably depending on the quality of the derivations).
Other: For tops, do not tell me that L is on the center of rotation, because that's not true. That's what my book tells me, and I'm not satisfied with that definition (nor do I understand this derivation). In fact, I'll post the page from my book.
Spoiler
![[Image: 20110312231559.jpg]](http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/1374/20110312231559.jpg)
If your derivation looks like the above page, it doesn't count.