How do I simulate a spinning top?

Open this page and use the live Pendulum Wave tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.

Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.

Can I use my own numbers?

Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive a spinning top from your own measurements.

Use case · powered by Pendulum Wave

Pendulum Wave for a spinning top

Simulate a spinning top live in your browser. This runs the real Pendulum Wave solver — adjust the inputs, watch it respond instantly, and export the result. No install, no account.

For:Students Researchers Educators Engineers Hobbyists & Makers K-12 Students First Responders

Pendulum WaveLive

phase art from many periods

Controls

Speed1×

A row of pendulums with slightly different lengths. They drift in and out of phase, weaving traveling waves, then briefly snap back into sync.

Presets

Pendulums

Period spread

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Pendulums18

Slowest period2.00 s

Fastest period0.61 s

Effectphase waves

Governing equation

T_{i} = 2 π L_{i} / g, T_{0} \approx 2.00 s, N = 18

Reading this result: Each of the 18 pendulums is set to a slightly different length, so its period drifts from the slowest (~2.00s, 30 swings per cycle) to the fastest (~0.61s, 98 swings per cycle). With a period spread of 4, the phases fan out into a traveling wave, dissolve into a chaos-looking scramble, and then all re-sync at the common 60-unit cycle before repeating. Wider spread reaches the disordered stage sooner; more pendulums makes the wave smoother.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

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About this simulation

The full Pendulum Wave tool models a spinning top with the same numerics engineers and scientists use — running entirely client-side. Change any parameter and the result updates in real time, so you can build intuition, check a design, or teach the concept without spreadsheets or installs.

More you can do with Pendulum Wave

Pendulum Wave for a projectile from a cannon Pendulum Wave for a bouncing ball Pendulum Wave for a pendulum clock Pendulum Wave for a car braking Pendulum Wave for a roller-coaster loop Pendulum Wave for a satellite orbit Pendulum Wave for a mass on a spring Pendulum Wave for a skydiver's free fall

Other ways to simulate a spinning top

Particle / N-Body for a spinning top Heat & Wave Fields for a spinning top GPU Compute (WebGPU) for a spinning top WebGPU Fluid for a spinning top GPU N-Body for a spinning top GPU PDE Solver for a spinning top

Frequently asked questions

How do I simulate a spinning top?: Open this page and use the live Pendulum Wave tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.
Is it free?: Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.
Can I use my own numbers?: Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive a spinning top from your own measurements.