The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is taking science for a spin — literally. This week’s featured experiment with Janet White, MOSI’s Director of Education, dives into the concept of angular momentum, exploring why spinning objects, like a gyroscope, resist changes in direction and work to stay balanced.
You can try the concept at home using just cardboard and a penny or coin. Cut a cardboard circle, snip from the edge to the center, insert the coin, and see how spinning your homemade gyroscope keeps it upright. If it tips, adjust the placement and try again.
The principle of gyroscopes has real-world applications — from keeping bicycles stable to helping drones hover and even guiding astronauts in space. It’s one more way MOSI blends hands-on learning with everyday science.
For more interactive experiments and programs, visit MOSI.org.
