The tennis racket theorem, also called the intermediate axis theorem, is a kinetic phenomenon of classical mechanics describing the movement of a rigid body with three distinct principal moments of inertia. Louis Poinsot described the effect in 1834 and it appeared in standard physics textbooks such as Herbert Goldstein's Classical Mechanics through the twentieth century, but it became widely known as the Dzhanibekov effect after Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov noticed one of its consequences while in space in 1985.
Facts
StatementThe tennis racket theorem states that rotation of a rigid object around its first and third principal axes is stable, while rotation around its second (intermediate) principal axis is not. 1 Classification
Statement FormCharacterization Theorem 1 Sources
1. Tennis racket theorem - Wikipedia
Theory section
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.
Lead paragraph, historical attribution
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.
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