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Spinning Top Precession — Simplified Side-View Model

A simplified side-view model of a spinning top's precession: the quasi-steady precession-rate law Ω = τ/(Iω) driven by a decaying spin, with a live polar trace of the axis tip and a genuine gyroscopic-collapse threshold.

Physics & Mechanics2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version
spinning-top-dreidel-precession ↗ Open standalone

Rather than rendering a full 3D rigid body, this version simulates the top's precession with the classic quasi-steady approximation Ω = τ/(Iω): the axis is treated as sweeping at exactly the rate that instantaneously balances gravity's torque, while a separate stability check makes the top genuinely collapse once spin decays below the critical gyroscopic threshold. A side-on silhouette and a polar tip-trace make the same real physics readable at a glance.

⚙ Under the hood

A simplified 2D side-view model uses the quasi-steady precession law Ω = τ/(Iω) driven by a decaying spin, with a genuine gyroscopic-stability threshold that makes the top topple once spin runs out.

gyroscopic-precessionangular-momentumrigid-body-dynamicsspinning-topnew-year

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install

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