IJPAM: Volume 78, No. 3 (2012)
Department of Business Information
Faculty of Information Management
Osaka University of Economics
2, Osumi Higashiyodogawa Osaka, 533-8533, JAPAN
Abstract. After touching on the three most common misconceptions regarding boomerangs, the author goes on to explain why boomerangs are crescent shaped. The author explains, using the principle of precessional motion, why boomerangs turn leftwards and why they fall sideways. He performs a comprehensive analysis through the ``right-hand rule," using the example of a gyro top. The author also explains how to make and fly the boomerang he invented -- one that can be flown inside a room and returns correctly.
Received: December 14, 2011
AMS Subject Classification: 00A79, 70E05, 97A20
Key Words and Phrases: moment of inertia, lift force, left turn and sideways fall, torque, couple, precessional motion, gyroscopic effect, right-hand rule
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Source: International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
ISSN printed version: 1311-8080
ISSN on-line version: 1314-3395
Year: 2012
Volume: 78
Issue: 3