If a gyroscope is not spinning, it acquires angular momentum in the direction of what?
velocity
gravity
acceleration
torque
This same logic explains the behavior of gyroscopes. Figure 10.31 shows the two forces acting on a spinning gyroscope. The torque produced is perpendicular to the angular momentum, thus the direction of the torque is changed, but not its magnitude. The gyroscope precesses around a vertical axis, since the torque is always horizontal and perpendicular to L . If the gyroscope is not spinning, it acquires angular momentum in the direction of the torque ( L falling over just as we would expect.