Will a Levitating Gyroscope Spin Forever in a Vacuum Chamber?

In this video I put a levitating gyroscope in the vacuum chamber to see if it will spin forever without any air resistance. This has been requested many times by my viewers, and I have always wondered what happens to a levitating spinning disk in a vacuum chamber. I show you how the levitation woks and I also give you some tips on how to do it if you get one of these levitating disks.

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[TheActionLab]

Hi everyone! I wanted to mention a few things that I missed in the video. First, one of the main reasons it stops that I left out completely is called gyrsocopic precession. Meaning that gyroscopes will tip over due to gravity, but just very slowly. So, since the disk was not directly straight to begin with it eventually tips over. This could be the main reason that it stops so quickly and I didn't even mention it! Also, the magnetic friction I talk about in the video is not actually the base sliding, but more the magnetic domains shifting causing friction. And finally I didn't mention eddy currents because the shiny disk is actually plastic and the magnets are ceramic. But there are two metal washers on it that could have some eddy currents. This also adds in a damping factor. I always learn more than I knew to begin with from my own videos!

[luizfernando]

"nothing spins forever"
Minecraft sheeps: *are you challenging me?*

[johnsidney]

It'll only spin forever if you're in a dream.

[Aegz]

“Nothing spins forever”

The fourth wheel on the shopping cart: are you challenging me?

[deepakkudari]

I think it'll stop because of 2 reasons. First one being that it's impossible to create a complete vacuum. So there would be a small amount of air resistance which will contribute to it's fall. Second of all the magnets repulsion is not only causing the top to levitate, it's also resisting some of its motion which will eventually decrease the kinetic energy of the top and it will fall.

[fransmulder]

So far nobody mentioned the energy loss induced by eddy currents as result of a conducter moving in an magnetic field

[elva]

The lab guy: pause the video
Me: I won't
*YouTube starts buffering *

[guss]

I worked at a store that sold those, when I got there they were on the shelf and no one bothered them. I asked " why don't you sell these?" they told me no one knew how to get them going. I open one and set it up on the counter and played with it. I started to get it working and kept playing with it. Soon kid and patents would come in and watch. With in 2 week we had almost sold all the kits... I want another one for my self.

[ghosttwo]

The slowing isn't from the big magnet moving. The processing top creates a changing magnetic field that sets up tiny electrical currents ('eddy') in both objects, which then gets converted into heat and radiated away through infrared.

[jedi__hire]

Action Lab: “nothing spins forever”

Jonny Joestar: hold my beer

[MikeOxolong]

The little spinning disc is made from a magnet and some metal probbably. If it's conductive, it creates electricity, so that's probbably slowing it down too.

[adriancarter]

It’s people like you who give others a chance for them and a reason for them to try new undiscovered stuff.... very cool!☺️👍

[josephsheranda]

7:25 So it's actually communicating with every other object in the universe...
Me spinning around in my office chair: "I am transmitting myself to the universe!"
My coworkers: "Umm..."

[Neuralatrophy]

Could put a mark on it to measure its RPM, use that as a baseline for how fast its spinning and how much speed its loosing over time. Averages over multiple tests in Vacuum chamber vs open air will give you the amount its being slowed by friction with air.
If you can find a way you can spin it up while under vacuum and to a controlled velocity it would be even better.

[whaszup]

I like how you explain the science behind your test.

[thom]

It actually has nothing to do with base magnet moving or any physical friction of any kind (except air molecules from the imperfect vacuum). Eddy currents induced in both the top and magnetic base via the rotation magnetic field dissipate the top's energy in the form of very small amounts heat. Anytime there's a rotating or moving magnetic field, small electrical currents will be induced in many materials, even ceramics.

[fleksaacovek]

I always tought that banggood was a porn site lmao

[maruftim]

"Nothing spins forever."

Earth: uh oh

[drcatan]

The rotation in magnetic field induces currents in the gyroscope itself, they are dissipated through heat. I think the spinning time actually has to do with the internal conductivity of the gyro. Chill it down (liquid nitrogen might do it :P) and it will spin much longer. Or maybe not ?

[evilplaguedoctor]

it'll stop for 2 reasons, no perfect vacuum & cutting through magnetic flux takes energy (think of eddy currents when dropping a magnet through a copper tube)