DEVICES FOR DEMONSTRATING THE EFFECTS OF THE LAWS OF GRAVITY

摘要

1463046 Educational appliances NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION 22 April 1975 [22 April 1974] 16697/75 Heading G5G [Also in Division A6] A device for demonstrating the laws of gravity by creating an illusory anti-gravity effect comprises a first sphere 12 of radius R and a second sphere 10 of radius r, the centre of gravity Cg of the second sphere being displaced from its geometrical centre by a distance D, wherein D((R + r.)/r) is greater than r. With this arrangement, the sphere 10 when rolled without slippage within certain limits from its equilibrium position shown in Fig. 1, rolls back up the sphere 12 to its original position, thus appearing to defy gravity. A spherical surface may replace the sphere 12, and more than two spheres may be stacked one above the other. Variations in the values of r, R and D lead to different stability configurations.