# What is the fastest man made spinning object **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 18, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447 "2005-01-18T23:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/1 "2005-01-18T23:05:24Z")
I did some googling and came up with some dentist drills that do about 500,000 rpm and obviously the smaller / thinner something is, the faster it can be spun - a spindle etc. Also there appears to be some missile guidance systems which spin pretty fast, but even taking all this into account, man must have made something which spins faster than all the others. What is it? There must be a relationship between the strength of a material and the max speed that - say a disk of material x, weighing 5 grams / 3mm thick, can be spun before it breaks up. Anyone know what this is? And what material is most resistant to centripetal force? ( for uk dopers - i’m sure there is a Alistair Campbell joke in there…) Sin ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/2 "2005-01-18T23:45:03Z")
A drill that does 500,000 RPM? That seems hard to believe. [This page](http://www.kxan.com/global/story.asp?s=1520813&ClientType=Print) says the “fastest spinning object ever created” is a flywheel that spins at 65,000 RPM. But I thought some common-caliber bullets (.223?) spin up to 100,000 RPM? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/3 "2005-01-18T23:48:37Z")
Guess I’m wrong. Here are some links about micro-machines that researchers claim will do 500,000 RPM: [http://www.edn.com/article/CA47045.html](http://www.edn.com/article/CA47045.html) [http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/080306.html](http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/080306.html) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/4 "2005-01-18T23:50:19Z")
Sam Walton in his grave? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/5 "2005-01-18T23:51:35Z")
Scott McClellan justifying the Bush plan for Social Security? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/6 "2005-01-19T00:10:39Z")
I’ve used this air-driven [centrifuge](http://www.gmi-inc.com/Genlab/beckman%20airfuge.htm) many times, and it has a top speed of 100 000 rpm. I love it, because it sounds like a miniature jet engine winding up. It also does wonders for really lipemic serum samples. Vlad/Igor ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/7 "2005-01-19T00:12:08Z")
“Political” “humor” has a bad history in **GQ** ; if we need to make jokes, let’s keep it neutral. 'K? [/Moderator Mode] ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/8 "2005-01-19T00:18:28Z")
> [@Vlad/Igor](#): > > I’ve used this air-driven [centrifuge](http://www.gmi-inc.com/Genlab/beckman%20airfuge.htm) many times, and it has a top speed of 100 000 rpm. I love it, because it sounds like a miniature jet engine winding up. It also does wonders for really lipemic serum samples. > > Vlad/Igor Yep, I’ll be needing one of those babies. No idea what for – don’t care. I definitely need one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/9 "2005-01-19T01:32:10Z")
> [@sinical brit](#): > > There must be a relationship between the strength of a material and the max speed that - say a disk of material x, weighing 5 grams / 3mm thick, can be spun before it breaks up. Anyone know what this is? The formula for maximum stress in a solid spinning disk is: S = (material density) x (rpm squared) x (radius of the disk squared)/(110.5 x g) S = stress in psi (metric: S = Pa) Material density in lb/cubic inch (metric: kg/cubic meter) radius of disk in inches (metric: meters) g = 386 (metric: g = 1) A mild steel disk (AISI 1010) will break apart when S = 67,000 psi (462 MPa) This formula is from _Design of Machine Elements_ by Spotts. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/10 "2005-01-19T01:35:11Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > “Political” “humor” has a bad history in GQ; if we need to make jokes, let’s keep it neutral. 'K? > > [/Moderator Mode] [Insert name of President]'s spokesperson [insert name of spokesperson] trying to justify [President]'s new plan for [policy]? 🙂 :d&r: Sorry, my sense of humor is as dry as the Kalahari. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/11 "2005-01-19T01:48:21Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > [Insert name of President]'s spokesperson [insert name of spokesperson] trying to justify [President]'s new plan for [policy]? > 🙂 > > :d&r: > Sorry, my sense of humor is as dry as the Kalahari. You’ll soon find out the worst part isn’t when Tom lays the mod cane to your fleshy buttocks, but when he says he’s _disappointed_ in you. You just die inside. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/12 "2005-01-19T01:49:57Z")
You’d assume a particle accelerator can spin a proton over a small circular track alot faster than 500,000 RPMs. I do not know if that constitutes man made though, at least not in the way that a mechanical device like a drill is manmade. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/13 "2005-01-19T01:52:18Z")
> [@astro](#): > > You just die inside. I died inside a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-man-made-spinning-object/285447/14 "2005-01-20T10:06:37Z")
Thanks for the replys - i guess there must be a limit around the 500,000 rpm mark them, but with pretty small objects - and thanks for the equation Mr Truth. I already spotted the Kxan link Crafter - the company its talking about has v little info on its web site. But Ta. Sin