What is a compass?
Hardly everyone knows and represents,what a compass looks like. However, certainly not everyone understands the principle of its operation. Therefore, in this article we will consider what a compass is and what kinds of compasses are being used.
A compass is a device for assisting orienteering, indicating the sides of the world with the help of an arrow operating under the influence of a magnetic, electromagnetic field or gyroscope.
The first compass was invented in China and representeda small tile, on which there was an arrow, in shape resembling a spoon. This compass was made of magnetic iron and was used for fortune telling. The marine compass, which became the prototype of the land compass, appeared approximately in the thirteenth century AD in Europe.
Types of compasses
There are three main types of compass, namely the magnetic compass, electromagnetic and gyrocompass.
- The principle of the action of the magnetic compasslies the interaction of the field of permanent magnets of the device and the horizontal component of the magnetic field of our planet. In the magnetic compass, the arrow constantly remains parallel to the direction of the lines of the magnetic field and is always directed to the north.
- The electromagnetic compass uses an electric generator in which the planet's magnetic field acts as a stator. The rotor is several frames with windings.
- As for the gyrocompass, its operation is based on the use of a gyroscope. Now gyrocompasses are used throughout the navigation systems of ships, in airplanes, as well as in airliners.
If you want to learn more about how touse the compass, we recommend reading the article How to use the compass. And if you want to learn how to build a compass yourself, read the article How to make a compass.
In addition, the compass is called the 3D modeling program. Information about this program and its installation you can get here: How to install the Compass.
