Spinning top
A top, or spinning top, is a children's toy that can be spun on an axis, balancing on a point. The top is one of the oldest recognizable toys found on archaeological sites. Besides toys, tops have also historically been used for gambling and prophecy. Some role-playing gamers still use tops to augment dice in generating randomized results. A thumbtack may also be made to spin on the same principles.
The action of a top relies on the gyroscopic effect for its operation. Typically the top will at first wobble until the shape of the tip and its interaction with the surface force it upright. After spinning upright for an extended period, the angular momentum, and therefore the gyroscopic effect, will gradually lessen, leading to ever increasing precession, finally causing the top to topple in a frequently violent last thrash.
The top is sometimes used to make a logical point. It is possible to say "the top is moving" without contradicting the statement that "the top is standing still." The two statements can each be true in that each refers to a different kind of motion -- "the top is rotating around its axis, but the axis remains at the same spot," would be a more complete statement of both points. In general, the law of non-contradiction must be stated to allow for ambiguous subject or predicates, and so for contradictions that are only apparent.
Types of top
- Concertina top
- Dreidel (also spelled dradel)
- Perinola
- Dueling top
- Floating top [1]
- Gaming top
- Tippe top
- Whipping top
- Whistling top
- trumpo
Dreidel
A dreidel is a four-sided top, played with in the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each side of it is bearing a letter: נ (Nun), ג (Gimel), ה (He), ש (Shin), which stands as an acronym for "נס גדול היה שם" (Nes Gadol Haya Sham – "a great miracle happened there"). In Israel, instead of ש (Shin), the letter פ (Pe) is written to symolize the location of the miracle — "פה" (Po – "here").
Dreidel is also the name for a game played with a dreidel (see Hanukkah games: Dreidel and gelt).
Perinola
A Perinola is a 6-sided top, very similar to the dreidel, that is used for a similar game in most Latin American countries. Perinola is also the name of a stick and ball game.
Top: Other uses for the name
- First Sergeants in the United States Army may be referred to by the nickname of "Top".
See also
- Master Sergeants in the Marine Corps may be referred to by the nickname of "Top".
- Levitron