Rectangular prisms exhibit unstable rotation about their intermediate principal axis
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 84/100
Rectangular prisms and general asymmetric rigid bodies undergo unstable rotation when spun around their intermediate principal axis, a phenomenon famously known as the intermediate axis theorem or the Dzhanibekov effect.
Evidence for · 4
Stability of rigid body motion through an extended intermediate axis theorem: application to rockfall simulation
2021 · cited by 25
Paper [0] notes that rotation around the major and minor principal axes is stable whereas rotation around the intermediate axis is unstable according to the intermediate axis theorem.
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More for · 3
Analyzing the spatial motion of a rigid body subjected to constant body-fixed torques and gyrostatic moment.
2024 · cited by 4
Paper [2] explores the rotatory spatial motion of asymmetric rigid bodies and analyzes the stability and equilibrium points associated with torques applied along the middle axis.
The Dzhanibekov Effect Revisited: Informational Hysteresis, Anisotropic Latency Fields, and Regime Transitions in Torque-Free Rotation
2026 · cited by 0
Paper [8] discusses the Dzhanibekov effect and tennis racket theorem, affirming that rigid bodies spinning about their intermediate principal axis undergo unstable motion and abrupt flips.
Optimization of asymmetric gyrostatic satellite kinematics in a resistive medium: A novel elliptic function solution.
2026 · cited by 0
Paper [10] investigates asymmetric rigid body dynamics and attitude stability under Euler's equations, adhering to classical rotational stability properties.