Which statement correctly defines precession in a gyroscope?

• A. A wobble of a gyroscope caused by misalignment.
• B. The characteristic of a gyroscope that causes a force to be felt 90 degrees from the point of application in the direction of rotation.
• C. The loss of angular momentum due to friction.
• D. The precession is the forward tilt of the nose due to yaw.

Answer: (B)

Precession is how a spinning gyroscope responds to an external torque: instead of tipping directly under the applied force, the axis changes direction in a way that is perpendicular to that force. The angular momentum of the spinning wheel is so large that the change in its direction occurs at right angles to the torque, causing the axis to trace out a slow, circular path. This reaction effectively feels like a force acting 90 degrees from where the torque is applied, and in the sense of the wheel’s rotation. The result is the sideways, sweeping motion called precession. Other statements describe wobbling from misalignment, energy loss from friction, or a simple nose tilt due to yaw, which are not what precession describes.