Centrifugal force in space

[ChromeStar]

i just wanted to know what would happen to an object moving in a straight line in space with a circular disc attached to the inside.

If the disc has a 100kg weight on a point. when the disc begins to spin will the object woble while still traveling in the same direction or will it move into another?

in any one knows, let me know

Thanx in advance
ChromeStar

[bigsplit]

Originally posted by ChromeStar@Dec 17 2004, 08:12 PM
i just wanted to know what would happen to an object moving in a straight line in space with a circular disc attached to the inside.

If the disc has a 100kg weight on a point. when the disc begins to spin will the object woble while still traveling in the same direction or will it move into another?

in any one knows, let me know

Thanx in advance
ChromeStar

Without any source of gravity acting upon the object, I would think a spining disk would not cause the object to wobble at all. If there was a source of gravity or acceleration to destabilize the object it would have a wobble and the direction the wobble sends the object would be a complicated task with many variables. You would have to know the g or acceleration strength and direction, the speed of the spin, the mass and speed of the object itself, the time we want the measurement....a tough task and do not forget heisenburg's ugly principle rising on the picture.

[antoniseb]

Originally posted by rousejohnny@Dec 17 2004, 09:07 PM
do not forget heisenburg's ugly principle rising on the picture.

The uncertainty principle has nothing to do with this macroscopic system.

First: the center of gravity of the system will continue to smoothly move along in a straight line.

Second: The spinning disk will potentially apply some odd gyroscopic effects that will not ony make the outer shell of your system wobble, but possibly also tumble in space. It really depends on placement.

You can do an experiment in which you take such an object: such as a commercially available rocket-shaped thing that vibrates [I'm not sure what you'd call it]. Turn it on, and gently toss it up in the air. Does it move smoothly through the air?

[Matthew]

Though if the spinning disc moved with a perfectly constant velocity and its mass was perfectly spread out and there was no friction on the point upon which it rests, wouldn't it have no effect on the craft? Because all the points would cancel out with the point directly opposite as it would have the opposite velocity (ie. the velocity of point "a" would be multiplied by -1 to find the velocity of point "b", which will just give a negative answer, unless of course your from of reference gives you a negative answer in the first place).

[ChromeStar]

hi all

i thought perhaps that as the disc spins the weight will be thrown in a direction as the weight (don't forget it has mass) moves in that direction, should'nt it exert a force on that side of the object or space craft pushing it in that direction. as the weight spins around to differant point the same effect should a occur thus canceling the first force and generating another - that's where i get the woble idea

Also if the disc rotated, lets say, 45 degrees and stoped should'nt the craft moveinthe direction in which the weight exerts force

this whole lot above could be compared with an astronaut pushing himself away from the space ship

also anton, i don't think the rocket thingy will give me the results i'm looking for becuase of aerodynamic effect in our atmosphere.