How Does Precession Keep a Spinning Bicycle Wheel Upright?

[cragar]

I am trying to understand how a rotating bicycle wheel doesn't fall over when you hold it on one side of the axle . I read a thing and it says , the top of the wheel wants to go to the left and the bottom of the wheel want to go right but when the wheel rotates these forces appose because that part of the wheel is now in a new place ,
is this correct , any input will be much appreciated .
http://science.howstuffworks.com/gyroscope2.htm

 

[Cleonis]

I am trying to understand how a rotating bicycle wheel doesn't fall over when you hold it on one side of the axle .

http://www.cleonis.nl/physics/phys256/gyroscope_physics.php"

Cleonis
http://www.cleonis.nl

 

[LostConjugate]

the top of the wheel wants to go to the left and the bottom of the wheel want to go right but when the wheel rotates these forces appose because that part of the wheel is now in a new place ,
is this correct , any input will be much appreciated .

That is exactly right.

 

[cragar]

Thanks for he answers and the videos .

 

[pmacias]

Precession is a phenomenon that occurs when a spinning object's axis of rotation changes direction due to an external force. In the case of a bicycle wheel, the force of gravity is acting on the wheel, causing it to try and fall over. However, because the wheel is spinning, it also has angular momentum, which creates a gyroscopic effect. This effect causes the wheel to resist changes in its orientation, thus keeping it upright.

When you hold the wheel on one side of the axle, the forces of gravity and angular momentum are in opposition, causing the wheel to remain stable. As the wheel rotates, the forces on different parts of the wheel change, but the overall effect is still the same - the wheel remains upright.

The article you referenced explains this concept well, and yes, the description of the forces opposing each other is correct. Precession is a fundamental principle in physics and is crucial to understanding the stability of rotating objects. I hope this helps clarify the concept for you. Keep exploring and learning about precession and its applications in various fields of science and technology.