Bicycle Wheel Gyroscope
The spinning wheel strongly resists the change in direction.
Teaching & key ideas
What you do: Spin the wheel and gently try to tilt its axle.
What students see: The spinning wheel strongly resists the change in direction.
Why it works: Angular momentum makes the spinning wheel resist changes to its axis.
Question to ask: Why is the spinning wheel harder to turn?
Lesson flow
Predict → demonstrate → observe → briefly explain → ask: Why is the spinning wheel harder to turn?