Resumen de Laithwaite's Heavy Spinning Disk Demonstration
In 1974, Professor Eric Laithwaite demonstrated an unusually heavy gyroscope at a Royal Institution lecture in London. The demonstration was televised and can be viewed on YouTube. 1 A recent version of the same experiment, together with partial explanations, attracted two million YouTube views in the first few months. 2 In both cases, the gyroscope consisted of a 40-lb (18-kg) spinning disk on the end of a 3-ft (0.91-m) long axle. The most remarkable feature of the demonstration was that Laithwaite was able to lift the disk over his head with one hand, holding onto the far end of the axle. The impression was given that the 40-lb disk was almost weightless, or “as light as a feather” according to Laithwaite.
