In a gyroscope, which principle explains its resistance to changes in orientation?

• A. Conservation of angular momentum.
• B. Ohm's law.
• C. Bernoulli principle.
• D. Hooke's law.

Answer: (A)

Conservation of angular momentum explains why a spinning gyroscope resists changes in orientation. When a gyroscope spins, it carries angular momentum along its spin axis. If an external torque tries to tilt that axis, the change in angular momentum occurs in a way that causes the axis to precess rather than tilt directly, keeping the orientation relatively stable. In short, the spinning wheel’s angular momentum tends to stay constant unless a torque acts, producing the characteristic precession rather than easy reorientation. The other principles relate to electrical circuits (Ohm’s law), fluid dynamics (Bernoulli), or elasticity (Hooke’s law) and don’t describe gyroscopic stability.