The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1914-03-05
WHIRLINC BODIES
They Invariably Tend to Point to
the Pole Star.
SCIENCE AND SPINNING A TOP.

mat the Earth Revolves on Its Axis
May BE Proved by Simple Expert
ment With the Gyrostat-Phenomen ma
OF Rapidly Revolving Objects.
Spinning top is not always child's
play. although it has generally been re-
garded ms Il Juvenile sport. Once in
England top whipping was practically
ordered by law. There was huge
top formerly provided i'm every village
to be whipped I'm frosty weather that
the peasants might be kept warm by
the exercise and out of mischief while
they could not work. Shakespeare in
Twelfth Night" says, His brains
turn like parish top" Ben Jonson
In New Inn" writes. He spins like
n parish top" and Beaumont and
Fletcher have dances like a town top
and reels and hobbies" Evelyn. the
diarist speaking of the uses of willow
wood. says that it was ordered that
"the great town tops should he made
thereof"
OF late years, however. science has
taken n hand in spinning tops with
fruitful results. From spinning tops
we can learn many interesting and
valuable things. For example. we can
prove that the earth revolves on its
axis and calculate mt what speed.
The phenomena of spinning bodies
are extremely interesting. If you throw
your hat into the air. but without spin
ming II. Ii will fall perhaps on one side,
perhaps on the other, but If you give it
"a
into the air it will always come down
the same side down as it went up. The
same thing is true Of coins and in fact
of all objects spun in this manner A
knife. If merely thrown into the air,
may come down at any angle, but it
held point down and sent spinning into
the air it will on falling stick it's point
into the floor invariably.
Other bodies acquire rigidity when
spun rapidly. Thus n piece OF chain
If placed on a wheel and made to re-
volve rapidly will form perfect circle
and If thrown off the wheel suddenly
will roll across the table or the floor
Just like solid hoop until its speed is
diminished. when it will fall into a
huddled mass.
1t is strange fact that spinning
bodies always tend to point to the
north star-the pole star Gently, but
firmly, they seem TO tug mt their moor.
ings in an effort TO assume the angle
that will point them in that direction.
Once they have attained it they do not
vary.
II, now, you want to prove the rota-
ton OF the earth by means of spin.
ming top You can do so as follows:
Provide yourself with a gyrostat capa-
BILE Of being driven by electricity so
that it can run for twenty-four hours
or more without stopping Set this go
Ing and point it to the north or pole
star. 1t will soon assume that direc-
ton. Now, as the axis of the top is
pointed in n certain direction tsay the
north wall of the ROOM and stays
there, without ever moving. this will
be guide to you to check off your OBJ
servations. And as you watch you will
notice that in six hours time the top
will point to the west and six hours
later to the south, six hours later to
the east and at the conclusion OF the
twenty-four hours it will have complet-
ed the circle and will again be point
ing due north. 1t will have completed
the circuit OF the four walls of the
room.
What does this mean? 1t means that
the room has reyolved round the top,
but as the room is fixed to the solid
earth 1t implies that the whole earth
has revolved round the top. which
alone remained stationary. Conse-
quently we have proved by this means
that the earth has turned once round
on its axis, and that it does so turn,
and that the heavens remain still and
stationary.
Many interesting astronomical dis
coveries have been made by the aid
Of spinning tops, and the facts obtain
ed by their study have been applied to
the rotation OF heavenly bodies. the
earth included, and the "wabble" OF It's
axis has been calculated by this means.
In many ways, therefore, the spinning
top is valuable scientific instrument.
-Hereward Darlington in New York
World.