Uses of Gyroscopes

A gyroscope, which works like a toy top, is primarily valued for its ability to maintain its orientation. Gyroscopes can also be used to measure movement or help an object stay upright and are found in numerous items. They've also been used for navigational purposes since their conception.

History

Ancient people across the world used spinning tops in games but never found a practical application for them. In the 18th century, an English scientist named Serson suggested a spinning top could be used as an artificial horizon in fog when at sea. But his attempts to prove his theory resulted in his death by drowning.

Gyroscopes were discovered by Johann Bohnenburger in 1810, who used a ball instead of the modern wheel. However, his creation had no scientific application, so the discovery of gyroscopes is commonly attributed to Leon Foucault. In 1845, Foucault built a gyroscope and gave it its name. He used his invention while studying the rotation of Earth. Today, gyroscopes have numerous uses.

Parts

A gyroscope requires two components, a wheel and an axle. The majority of the weight on a gyroscope must be kept away from the center, so it's common for the wheel of a gyroscope to have a heavy rim. A gyroscope may also have gimbals, which are rings set at right angles to one another that allow an object to tilt freely. They can be used to measure an object's rotation, and sometimes to control that rotation.

Features

When the wheel spins on its axis, the gyroscope resists movement perpendicular to its axis. This is called gyroscopic inertia. Another term to remember is gyroscopic precession, which describes the motion the axis takes when external force is applied. Precession allows a gyroscope to appear to defy gravity: when the wheel is spinning and the axis is horizontal, one end can be lightly supported, and the gyroscope won't fall, but will stay horizontal.

Uses

Demonstration gyroscope are often used in physics class in schools. They usually have gimbals that allow you to place weights on an axis to show it reacts. That helps demonstrate how a gyroscope can continually point one direction.

Computer pointing devices that allow a mouse to be controlled while the device is in the air contain a gyroscope that tracks the movement of your hand.

Gyroscopes are used in several forms in transportation. Car engines act like big gyroscopes, so the racing industry takes them into consideration. Because the cars only turn in one direction, the gyroscopic force helps the car stay on the track. Motorcycle wheels also act as gyroscopes to make the bike easier to balance. Gyroscopes are also used in monorails and ships to help them stay upright.

One of the most common forms gyroscopes take are navigational tool called gyrocompasses. A gyrocompass works like a normal compass, but is more accurate and not affected by magnetism, so they're often used in ships and planes.

How to Make a Gyroscope

All you need to make a gyroscope is a wheel and an axle that can fit through the center of the wheel. Use a bicycle wheel, which already has an axle and bearings. If you spin the wheel and support the axle on one end (for example, by holding it with a rope or string,) it will stay horizontal.

References

• Everything You Needed to Know About Gyroscopes
• Everything on Gyroscopes
• Brief History of Gyroscopes