Question #216

This question is a follow-up to Question #215. In Question #215 a meter stick is balanced asymetrically on two rotating rods and released while the rods are rotating in the opposite sense. The apparatus is seen with the meter stick in its starting position in the figure below.

The meter stick is held in position as shown, and the motor driver started, causing the supports to rotate at a few revolutions per second in the sense shown in the figure below (forces inward on the meter stick), opposite to the case of Question #215.

What will the meter stick do?:

• (a) It will fall off the right side.
• (b) It will fall off the left side.
• (c) It will remain balanced at that point.
• (d) Other (explain).

Click here for Answer #216 after April 11, 2005.

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