Analysis of MITAC Gyroscope operation and

instruction manual
Christopher Krier
February 21, 2016

The conduction of experiments is a crucial aspect of the physics profession. Experiments

must be reproducible such that colleagues can verify results. Hence, instruction operation
manuals for experiments and their required apparatuses must be well-written technical documents. I have chosen to analyze a MITAC gyroscope operation and instruction manual
published by the Central Scientific Company (CENCO). I recently used the document to
conduct a study of gyroscopic motion in a course in experimental physics.
The manual aims to introduce the operation of the MITAC gyroscope and to give instructions
for the conduction of relevant experiments. The intended audience of the document consists
of those wishing to become acquainted with gyroscopic motion by experimenting with a gyroscope, namely, students and professionals with a strong background in the physical sciences.
The manual presents a description of the MITAC gyroscope and an introductory lesson in
the mechanics of gyroscopic motion so that the user is prepared to think critically about
the experiments to be conducted. The manual subsequently outlines a series of experiments
designed to expose the student to gyroscopic motion. The document is communicated in the
written-physical medium without accompanying dynamic content. The manual consists of
stapled papers without binding and the print is presented in journal style with two columns.
The table of content aids the user in finding desired content and the general typography of
the document allows the user to locate the start of a given section and important content.
For example, section headers are bolded and the manual enumerates appropriate content:
equations, figures, and experiments. The language of the document is concise and unambiguous with an appropriate scientific tone. The document provides figures supplementing the
content. However, the figures lack the clarity that would promote a complete understanding
of the figures. Take for instance Figure 11 which gives no labels or instructions explaining the assembly of the rate-gyro. The manual does not give any warnings regarding the
safety of the user. The exclusion of safety considerations is puzzling because of the powerful
mechanical nature of the gyroscope. A bibliography of relevant material is provided at the
end of the document. The manual provides the address of CENCO and a phone number by
which one can contact them.
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The MITAC gyroscope operation and instruction manual is generally usable, but the delineation of the experiments in the manual and the apparatus setups used therein are incomplete
and therefore lead to frustration for the users. The presentation of the document, as described before, allows the user to locate desired content quickly. The introductory lesson in
gyroscopic motion and the description of the gyroscope achieve their purpose.