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An object tied to a rope will lift when swung around (like in a merry-go-round), due to the centripetal force.

If a rapidly spinning wheel is hanging from a rope at one side of the axis, it won't fall down, but will precess. Associated with that precession motion is a centripetal force. Is it this force that prevents it from falling? Or is it too weak?

EDIT: I don't think the linked question is a duplicate. I'm asking here a specific question about the centripetal force. The centripetal force is not mentioned at all in the linked question, nor in its answers.

anoniem
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  • There is a 2012 answer, submitted by me, with a discussion of gyroscopic precession. The discussion is illustrated with diagrams. As to whether there is an analogy: A circumnavigating object is passive. That is: something external must provide the required centripetal force for the circumnavigating object. A spinning object, such as a spinning gyro wheel, is not passive. A spinning object responds when subjected to change of orientation. That response makes precessing motion inherently distinct from simple circumnavigating motion. – Cleonis Jan 03 '22 at 21:04
  • Thanks for your answer. I'm trying to get my head around it. Suppose we let go of a spinning wheel attached to a rope: you get precession and nutation. The nutation damps out to an equilibrium angle. The force of gravity makes that the wheel initally tilts beyond the equilibrium angle, but then it moves back up above that angle. What force causes it to move back up? Is that the centripetal force due to the precession? – anoniem Jan 04 '22 at 12:53
  • In your case I recommend you create an account with a threaded forum, such as physicsforums, and submit there a request for someone to explain the explanation of gyroscopic precession to you. Also, the following may be helpful. Michael Stevens has a video with explanation of an angular acceleration phenomenon that plays a role in gyroscopic precession. That phenomenon is: if an object is circumnavigating, and the radial distance of the object is changed, then the angular velocity of the object changes. – Cleonis Jan 04 '22 at 14:28
  • SE is by design not a threaded forum. In a threaded forum the threads tend to become long-winding and unsearcheable. The stackexchange comment section is very much intended for comments only, not for follow-up questions. Not being a threaded forum has advantages and disadvantages; it's a trade-off. – Cleonis Jan 04 '22 at 14:30

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