Spinning Tables and Energy Systems

[ P5 Science and Up: Energy ]

Ever wondered what would happen if you put a free-rolling object, like a ball, on top of a sinning object like a turntable?

It's surprising that it doesn't fall off, but importantly, the ball was secured into position by a hand to reach a stabilised state initially. As a result, the initial parameters are already self-reinforcing, which is why the ball only changes positions when pushed slightly on the side. Simply put, the inertia to cause it to roll off the table is counteracted by the initial stabilisation.

A similar phenomenon happens inside of an MRT train. When you're boarding one, the train moves at an incredibly fast speed, but your gravity is able to keep you in place and not fly or roll towards the back of the train.