The Study of Gyroscopic Motion through Inquiry-Based Learning Activities

Students typically struggle with sophomore level dynamics -this difficulty is compounded when the material is extended to three dimensions.To help students gain a physical appreciation for gyroscopic motion, an Inquiry-Based Learning Activity (IBLA) was created.Although most dynamics instructors routinely use a spinning bicycle wheel as a demo, few students get to experience the motion first hand.Similarly, toy gyroscopes can be used to help teach students about precession and demonstrate how gyroscopic navigational devices operate.These hands-on laboratories can be much more powerful than demonstrations and lecturing -the students can actually feel the gyroscopic moments generated.The IBLA was assessed through two problems on the final examination.The first asked what happens to the motion of a gyroscope when you push gently on the outer gimble.The second involved the actionreaction moments involved with gyroscopic motion (e.g., if you are riding your bike and lean to the left, which way to do you have to push on your handlebars).Scores on these different problems along with subjective survey results were used to assess the effectiveness of the IBLA.