Sunday, May 27, 2012 3:08:05 AM
"It's already decided that it wants to go"
No. He pushed it off in that direction with his left hand and momentum took care of the rest. Wheels do not choose.
Wrong. The angular momentum of the wheel together with the torque centered on the pivot (his right hand) created by gravity is what decides which way it rotates around the the pivot point. If the wheel was spinning in the opposite direction around the axel, it would go the other way around the pivot as well.
Saturday, May 26, 2012 3:38:41 PM
@Thonious: The path the spinning wheel takes is not a consequence of any initial push the man gives it; it's a consequence of the diameter of the wheel and the direction of its spin. In other words, he could never have twirled the wheel above his head in a counterclockwise direction (unless the spin imparted to the wheel was reversed). That`s why he`s saying the wheel "knows" where it wants to go and describes it as "a live thing"; all he can do is go along for the ride.