Gyroscopes
An explanation by Ansley Marks
A gyroscope is a device containing a wheel or disk that is free to rotate about its own axis independent of a change in direction of the axis itself.
The Main Idea
Although insignificant looking and seemingly uninteresting when still, gyroscopes become a fascinating device when in motion and can be explained using the angular momentum principle. Gyroscopes come in all different forms with varying parts. The main component of a gyroscope is a spinning wheel or a disk mounted on an axle. Typically gyroscopes contain a suspended rotor inside three rings called gimbals. In order to ensure that little torque is applied to the inside rotor, the gimbals are mounted on high quality bearing surfaces, allowing free movement of the spinning wheel in the middle. These types of gyroscopes with multiple gimbals are useful for stabilization because the wheels can change direction without affecting the inner rotor. If the spinning axle of a gyroscope is placed on a support, then a complex motion can be observed. The motion of a gyroscope will be modeled and explained further on in this page.
A Mathematical Model
What are the mathematical equations that allow us to model this topic. For example [math]\displaystyle{ {\frac{d\vec{p}}{dt}}_{system} = \vec{F}_{net} }[/math] where p is the momentum of the system and F is the net force from the surroundings.
A Computational Model
How do we visualize or predict using this topic. Consider embedding some vpython code here Teach hands-on with GlowScript
Examples
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Simple
Middling
Difficult
Connectedness
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History
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See also
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Further reading
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External links
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References
Oxford Dictionaries: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/gyroscope
HyperPhysics: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/gyr.html
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope