Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Practice Test 2025 – The Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The principle that explains why a spinning object tends to maintain its orientation is conservation of angular momentum. This principle states that if no external torque acts on a system, the total angular momentum of that system remains constant. When an object is spinning, it possesses angular momentum that is dependent on its rotational speed and distribution of mass. As a result, a spinning object will continue to spin in the same orientation unless acted upon by an external force or torque.

This characteristic is often observed in gyroscopes, which maintain their orientation due to the conservation of angular momentum. For example, when you spin a top, it remains upright and stable for a period of time because its spin creates stability through its angular momentum.

While Newton's First Law of Motion relates to the motion of objects and states that an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force, it does not specifically apply to rotation. Bernoulli's Principle deals with fluid dynamics and the behavior of liquids and gases, while the Law of Universal Gravitation describes the attractive forces between masses. These principles are not directly related to the rotation and orientation stability of a spinning object.