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Queen Mary University of London
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The Levitating Wheel Trick
In this magic trick you hold a large bike wheel up from both ends of its axle. Then you let go of
one end and the wheel continues to be suspended in mid-air even though nothing is holding it up.
A spinning wheel has angular momentum as it rotates. For the wheel to tip, this angular momentum has to change to a new angle. Just as it is difficult to stop a large object that is
moving toward you, it’s hard to change the angle of a large spinning object. This will keep it suspended in the air until it slows down and drops.
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