gyroscope

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

(Left) Three-frame gyroscope and (right) two-frame gyroscope.

Figure 3: Rate gyroscopes (Left) Velocity gyro for measuring rate of turn;(right) velocity gyro for measuring rate of roll

Figure 2: Apparent movement of the spin axis of a gyroscope

For Students

gyroscope summary

Discover

earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.

The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950

Pluto. The Changing Faces of Pluto. Most detailed view to date of the entire surface of the dwarf planet Pluto, as constructed from multiple NASA Hubble Space Telescope photographs taken from 2002 to 2003.

10 Important Dates in Pluto History

9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

In this aerial photo, structures are damaged and destroyed October 15, 2005 in Balakot, Pakistan. It is estimated that 90% of the city of Balakot was leveled by the earthquake. The death toll in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 is believed to be 38,000 with at least 1,300 more dead in Indian Kashmir. SEE CONTENT NOTES.

6 of the World’s Deadliest Natural Disasters

Eid al-Fitr

African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights.

Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

Science & Tech

gyroscope

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 • Article History

gyroscope

See all media

Category: Science & Tech

Related Topics:: gyrocompass; compass; ring laser gyroscope; gyroscope equation; gimbal

On the Web:: Lehman College - Three Dimensional Rotations and Gyroscopes (Apr. 03, 2024)

See all related content →

gyroscope, device containing a rapidly spinning wheel or circulating beam of light that is used to detect the deviation of an object from its desired orientation. Gyroscopes are used in compasses and automatic pilots on ships and aircraft, in the steering mechanisms of torpedoes, and in the inertial guidance systems installed in space launch vehicles, ballistic missiles, and orbiting satellites. Mechanical gyroscopes are based on a principle discovered in the 19th century by Jean-Bernard-Léon Foucault, a French physicist who gave the name gyroscope to a wheel, or rotor, mounted in gimbal rings. The angular momentum of the spinning rotor caused ...(100 of 616 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.