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PhysicsClassical Physics

Gyroscopic Precession: A 40 rev/s Disk with a 15 cm Pivot Offset

Calculate precession angular speed for a 0.5 kg disk with a 10 cm radius and a 15 cm pivot-to-center distance using the corrected problem version.

Question

A gyroscope's disk has mass 0.5 kg, disk radius 10 cm, and spin frequency 40 rev/s. The disk's center of mass is 15 cm from its pivot. Find the gyroscope's precession angular velocity.

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Evidence boundary

This page uses the current OpenStax University Physics Problem 75 and its 2025 correction: the pivot-to-center distance is 15 cm and the disk radius is 10 cm. Treat the rotor as a uniform solid disk with negligible support mass, using g = 9.8 m/s² and fast spin with slow steady precession. The problem does not specify a spin direction, so the answer determines the precession speed, not clockwise versus counterclockwise motion.