what is gyrocompass?

Gyroscope having three degrees of freedom is called “FREE GYROSCOPE”

Gyroscope

Properties of Free Gyroscope:-

1) Gyroscopic inertia or rigidity in space.

2) Precession.

1) Gyroscopic Inertia:- A freely spinning gyroscope will maintain its axis of spin in the same direction with respect to space irrespective of how its supporting base is turned. It resists any attempt to change its direction of spin. Thus a free gyro-scope has high directional stability. This property is called GYROSCOPIC INERTIA or RIGIDITY IN SPACE.

2) Precession:- Precession is the angular displacement of the spin axis of the gyro-scope when a torque is applied to the gyro-scope. Hence, when a torque is applied to the spin axis the resulting movement will be in the direction at a right angle to the applied torque. Earth is also a free gyro-scope pointing north axis toward Polaris (rigidity in space). We all are also aware that the earth also possesses the force of gravity.

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Gyroscope

The first property of the free gyro-scope is useful. However, due to the placing of this gyro-scope on the surface of the earth, it will be moved along the direction of rotation of the earth. As such the gyro-scope will have an apparent motion. For example, at night if the gyro-scope is made to point in the direction of a star, then the gyro-scope will follow the star as the earth rotates and the star apparently moves in the sky.

W.R.T earth‟s surface the free gyro-scope will not point in a fixed direction but will be exhibiting tilt & drift.