Tennis racket theorem
A rigid body with 3 distinct axes of inertia is unstable rotating about the middle axis
Tennis racket theorem
The tennis racket theorem, or intermediate axis theorem, is a kinetic phenomenon of classical mechanics which describes the movement of a rigid body with three distinct principal moments of inertia. It has also been dubbed the Dzhanibekov effect, after Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov, who noticed one of the theorem's logical consequences whilst in space in 1985. The effect was known for at least 150 years prior, having been described by Louis Poinsot in 1834 and included in standard physics textbooks such as Classical Mechanics by Herbert Goldstein throughout the 20th century. The theorem describes the following effect: rotation of an object around its first and third principal axes is stable, whereas rotation around its second principal axis (or intermediate axis) is not. This can be demonstrated by the following experiment: Hold a tennis racket at its handle, with its face being horizontal, and throw it in the air such that it performs a full rotation around its horizontal axis...
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