PASCO ME-8960 User Manual
Instruction Manual and
Experiment Guide for
the PASCO scientific
Model ME-8960
DEMONSTRATION
GYROSCOPE
012-05327B
4/94
ME-8960
DEMONSTRATION
GYROSCOPE
© 1994 PASCO scientific $10.00
10101 Foothills Blvd. • P.O. Box 619011 • Roseville, CA 95678-9011 USA
Phone (916) 786-3800 • FAX (916) 786-8905 • TWX 910-383-2040
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ways to
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012-05327B Demonstration Gyroscope
T able of Contents
Section Page
Copyright, Warranty, and Equipment Return..................................................ii
Introduction .....................................................................................................1
Equipment........................................................................................................2
Assembly
ME-8960 Demonstration Gyroscope.........................................................3
ME-8961 Additional Gyroscope Disk....................................................... 5
Experiments
Experiment 1: Precession ....................................................................7
Experiment 2: Counter-rotating Disks - Demonstration.....................13
Experiment 3: Precession - Demonstration ........................................15
Experiment 4: Nutations - Demonstration..........................................17
Technical Support................................................................................. Back Cover
i
Demonstration Gyroscope 012-05327B
Copyright, Warranty and Equipment Return
Please—Feel free to duplicate this manual
subject to the copyright restrictions below.
Copyright Notice
The PASCO scientific Model ME-8960 Demonstration
Gyroscope manual is copyrighted and all rights reserved.
However, permission is granted to non-profit educational
institutions for reproduction of any part of this manual
providing the reproductions are used only for their
laboratories and are not sold for profit. Reproduction
under any other circumstances, without the written
consent of PASCO scientific, is prohibited.
Limited Warranty
PASCO scientific warrants this product to be free from
defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one
year from the date of shipment to the customer. PASCO
will repair or replace, at its option, any part of the product
which is deemed to be defective in material or workmanship. This warranty does not cover damage to the product
caused by abuse or improper use. Determination of
whether a product failure is the result of a manufacturing
defect or improper use by the customer shall be made
solely by PASCO scientific. Responsibility for the return
of equipment for warranty repair belongs to the customer.
Equipment must be properly packed to prevent damage
and shipped postage or freight prepaid. (Damage caused
by improper packing of the equipment for return shipment will not be covered by the warranty.) Shipping
costs for returning the equipment, after repair, will be
paid by PASCO scientific.
Equipment Return
Should this product have to be returned to PASCO
scientific, for whatever reason, notify PASCO scientific
by letter or phone BEFORE returning the product. Upon
notification, the return authorization and shipping instructions will be promptly issued.
➤ NOTE: NO EQUIPMENT WILL BE AC-
CEPTED FOR RETURN WITHOUT AN AUTHORIZATION.
When returning equipment for repair, the units must be
packed properly. Carriers will not accept responsibility
for damage caused by improper packing. To be certain
the unit will not be damaged in shipment, observe the
following rules:
➀ The carton must be strong enough for the item
shipped.
➁ Make certain there is at least two inches of packing
material between any point on the apparatus and the
inside walls of the carton.
➂ Make certain that the packing material can not shift in
the box, or become compressed, thus letting the instrument come in contact with the edge of the box.
Address: PASCO scientific
10101 Foothills Blvd.
Credits
This manual authored by: Jon Hanks
This manual edited by: Jon Hanks
P.O. Box 619011
Roseville, CA 95678-9011
Phone: (916) 786-3800
FAX: (916) 786-8905
ii
012-05327B Demonstration Gyroscope
Introduction
The PASCO ME-8960 Gyroscope has an open design
that makes all the parts easily accessible to the student.
The gyroscope consists of a disk that can be rotated by
hand or by pulling a string that is wrapped around the
pulley. A movable counterweight balances the disk.
The small counterweight is used to make fine adjustments to the balance. An add-on mass can be easily
placed on the end of the shaft to cause a torque and
precession. The rotational inertia of the disk is easily
obtained by accelerating the disk using a string around
the pulley that is attached to the disk.
1
Demonstration Gyroscope 012-05327B
Equipment
cast iron
“A” base
“E” rings (2,
one extra
for rotating
axle)
rotating disk
rotating axle
“E” rings (3,
one extra for
rotating disk)
gyroscope
axle
ME-8960
DEMONSTRATION
GYROSCOPE
45 cm
support rod
right angle
rod clamp
900g
counterweight
30g
counterweight
150g add-
on mass
thumbscrews (2)
ME-8960 Demonstration Gyroscope Equipment
The ME-8960 Demonstration Gyroscope includes
the following:
– PASCO cast iron “A” base with rotating shaft
– axle (48 cm long) with pivot block, protractor
plate, and pointer
– one 900g large counterweight
– one 30g small counterweight
– one 150g add-on mass
The ME-8961 Additional Gyroscope Disk includes
the following:
– 25cm diameter rotating disk with pulley
– one 900g large counterweight
– 25cm diameter rotating disk with pulley
– 45 cm support rod
– right angle rod clamp
– extra “E” rings to secure rotating shaft and rotat-
ing disk
– two thumbscrews
rotating disk
900g
counterweight
2
ME-8961 Additional Gyroscope Disk
012-05327B Demonstration Gyroscope
Assembly
900g
counterweight
thumbscrew
thumbscrew
rotating disk
30g
counterweight
gyroscope axle
rotating axle
“E” ring for
rotating axle
ME-8960
DEMONSTRATION
GYROSCOPE
flat of
rotating axle
cast iron “A” base
“E” rings (2) for
rotating disk
add-on mass
thumbscrew
Figure 1: Demonstration Gyroscope Assembly
ME-8960 Demonstration Gyroscope
Assembling the Demonstration Gyroscope
➀ Insert the cylindrical end of the vertical shaft into
the bearings on the top-side of the A-shaped iron
base. Secure the shaft in place by inserting the re-
taining ring in the slot at the bottom of the shaft.
See Figure 1.
➁ Attach the gyroscope axle to the vertical shaft and
tighten the thumb screw against the flat side of the
“D” on the vertical shaft.
➂ Slide the smaller of the two counterweights (30g)
onto the long side of the gyroscope axle and tighten
the thumbscrew. Then slide the larger of the two
counterweights (900g) onto the same end of the
shaft and tighten its thumbscrew.
➃ Put the disk on the other end of the gyroscope axle
with the pulley side of the disk facing the center of
the gyro. Secure the disk in place with the retaining
rings (2). See Figure 1.
➄ Screw the thumbscrew into the end of the shaft un-
til the nut is tight against the end of the shaft
3
Demonstration Gyroscope 012-05327B
gyroscope axle
gyroscope axle
“A” base
(rotated 90˚)
adjust this foot first
rotating
disk
leveling feet
Figure 2: Leveling the Base
Leveling the Base
➀ Purposely make the apparatus unbalanced by mov-
ing the 900g counterweight towards the center.
➁ Adjust the leveling foot on one of the legs of the
base until the gyroscope disk is aligned over the
leveling foot on the other leg of the base. See Figure 2.
900g
counterweight
then adjust this foot
➂ Rotate the gyroscope 90 degrees so the gyroscope
axle is parallel to one side of the “A” and adjust the
other leveling foot until the shaft will stay in this
position. See Figure 2.
➃ Adjust the position of the 900g counterweight until
the gyroscope is balanced without the add-on mass.
The 30g counterweight can be used to fine tune the
balance.
rotating
disk
Using the Rotating Disk Pulley
➀ Make sure the rotating disk is secure on the gyro-
scope axle and decide which direction you want the
disk to rotate.
➁ Tie a loop in the end of a length of thread (approxi-
mately 1.5 meters long) and put the loop around the
dowel pin located on the surface of the rotating disk
pulley and wind the thread around the surface of
the pulley. See Figure 3.
➂ Holding the gyroscope axle in place, pull the thread
to rotate the disk at the desired speed.
rotating disk
dowel pin
gyroscope
axle
pulley
thread
Figure 3: Using the Rotating Disk Pulley
4
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