Gyrocompass facts for kids

This picture shows the inside of an Anschütz gyrocompass.

A gyrocompass repeater, which shows the direction from the main gyrocompass.

A gyrocompass is a special type of compass that doesn't use magnetism to find north. Regular compasses can get confused near magnets or large pieces of metal. Gyrocompasses don't have this problem, which makes them very useful, especially on big ships.

This amazing device uses a super-fast spinning disc and the way the Earth spins. It automatically figures out the true geographical direction.

How is a Gyrocompass Different?

While a gyrocompass uses a gyroscope inside, they are not exactly the same thing. To turn a simple gyroscope into a gyrocompass, it needs a special part. This part helps it always point to true north. It does this by gently pushing the compass whenever it's not pointing north.

Gyrocompasses have two big advantages over regular magnetic compasses:

• They find true north, which is the actual direction to the North Pole based on Earth's spin. This is different from magnetic north, which is where a magnetic compass points. True north is often more helpful for navigation.
• They are not affected by magnetic materials, like a ship's steel body. This means they work perfectly even on huge metal ships.

Images for kids

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  The 1889 Dumoulin-Krebs gyroscope

See also

In Spanish: Girocompás para niños