Rotation in Space: Feynman's Physics Explained
In three dimensions, rotation gets wonderfully counter-intuitive. Torque and angular momentum become vectors. Push on the axis of a spinning gyroscope and it moves at a right angle to your push! This is precession, a direct consequence of the vector nature of angular momentum: torque equals the rate of change of the angular momentum vector, and for a spinning object that change is mostly in direction, not size.
The big idea
A spinning gyroscope responds sideways to a push — that's precession.
Think about it
A spinning top leans but doesn't fall over; it slowly circles instead. Why does spinning keep it upright?
← More Physics (Feynman Lectures) guides · Explore the Physics (Feynman Lectures) module →
📧 Get a free brain-teaser every morning
Join thousands of families learning something new each day.
Subscribe free