1.

10902 Ext_Physics 1A
Rotational Equilibrium and
Rotational Dynamics

M.Kilepak
Semester 1 2024
 Rotational Motion
• What is Rotational Motion?
“Rotational motion can be defined as the
motion of an object around a circular path, in a
fixed orbit.”
• Rotational motion is the circular motion of
objects about an axis and it is described using
four main variables: angular velocity, angular
acceleration, angular displacement, and time.
• Rotational equilibrium is when a system has
constant rotational velocity and a net torque
of zero.
• Rotational dynamics is the study of forces and
motions about an axis of rotation
• The dynamics for rotational motion are
completely analogous to linear or translational
dynamics.
 Application of Forces
• The point of application of a force is important
– This was ignored in treating objects as point
particles
• The concepts of rotational equilibrium and
rotational dynamics are important in many
fields of study
• Angular momentum may be conserved
• Angular momentum may be changed by
exerting a torque
 Force vs. Torque
• Forces cause accelerations
• Torques cause angular accelerations
• Force and torque are related
 Torque
• What is TORQUE?

• Torque is a twisting or turning force that tends

to cause rotation around an axis, which might
be a center of mass or a fixed point.
• Torque can also be thought of as the ability of
something that is rotating, such as a gear or a
shaft, to overcome turning resistance.
 Torque

• The door is free to rotate about an axis through O

• There are three factors that determine the effectiveness of the
force in opening the door:
– The magnitude of the force
– The position of the application of the force
– The angle at which the force is applied
 Torque, cont
• Torque, t, is the tendency of a force to rotate
an object about some axis
–t=rF
• t is the torque
– Symbol is the Greek tau
• r is the length of the position vector
• F is the force
• SI unit is Newton . meter (N.m)
 Direction of Torque
• Torque is a vector quantity
– The direction is perpendicular to the plane
determined by the position vector and the force
– If the turning tendency of the force is
counterclockwise, the torque will be positive
– If the turning tendency is clockwise, the torque
will be negative
 Multiple Torques
• When two or more torques are acting on an
object, the torques are added
– As vectors
• If the net torque is zero, the object’s rate of
rotation doesn’t change
 General Definition of Torque
• The applied force is not always perpendicular
to the position vector
• The component of the force perpendicular to
the object will cause it to rotate
 General Definition of Torque, cont
• When the force is parallel
to the position vector, no
rotation occurs
• When the force is at some
angle, the perpendicular
component causes the
rotation
 General Definition of Torque, final
• Taking the angle into account leads to a more
general definition of torque:
– t = r F sin q
• r is the position vector
• F is the force
• q is the angle between the force and the position
vector
 Lever Arm

• The lever arm, d, is the perpendicular distance from the axis of

rotation to a line drawn along the direction of the force
• d = r sin q
• This also gives t = r F sin q
 Torque and Axis
• The value of the torque depends on the
chosen axis of rotation
• Torques can be computed around any axis
– There doesn’t have to be a physical rotation axis
present
• Once a point is chosen, it must be used
consistently throughout a given problem
 Right Hand Rule
• Point the fingers in the
direction of the position
vector
• Curl the fingers toward
the force vector
• The thumb points in the
direction of the torque
 Net Torque
• The net torque is the sum of all the torques
produced by all the forces
– Remember to account for the direction of the
tendency for rotation
• Counterclockwise torques are positive
• Clockwise torques are negative
 Torque and Equilibrium
• First Condition of Equilibrium
– The net external force must be zero

– This is a statement of translational equilibrium

• The Second Condition of Equilibrium states
– The net external torque must be zero

– This is a statement of rotational equilibrium

 Selecting an Axis
• It’s usually best to choose an axis that will
make at least one torque equal to zero
– This will simplify the torque equation
 Equilibrium Example
• The woman, mass m, sits on
the left end of the see-saw
• The man, mass M, sits
where the see-saw will be
balanced
• Apply the Second Condition
of Equilibrium and solve for
the unknown distance, x
 Center of Gravity
• The force of gravity acting on an object must
be considered
• In finding the torque produced by the force of
gravity, all of the weight of the object can be
considered to be concentrated at a single
point
 Calculating the Center of Gravity
• The object is divided up into
a large number of very
small particles of weight
(mg)
• Each particle will have a set
of coordinates indicating its
location (x,y)
Calculating the Center of Gravity, cont.
• We assume the object is free to rotate about
its center
• The torque produced by each particle about
the axis of rotation is equal to its weight times
its lever arm
– For example, t1 = m1 g x1
Calculating the Center of Gravity, cont.
• We wish to locate the point of application of
the single force whose magnitude is equal to
the weight of the object, and whose effect on
the rotation is the same as all the individual
particles.
• This point is called the center of gravity of the
object
 Coordinates of the Center of Gravity
• The coordinates of the center of gravity can be
found from the sum of the torques acting on
the individual particles being set equal to the
torque produced by the weight of the object
 Center of Gravity and Center of Mass
• The three equations giving the coordinates of
the center of gravity of an object are identical
to the equations giving the coordinates of the
center of mass of the object
• The center of gravity and the center of mass of
the object are the same if the value of g does
not vary significantly over the object
 Center of Gravity of a Uniform Object
• The center of gravity of a homogenous,
symmetric body must lie on the axis of
symmetry
• Often, the center of gravity of such an object
is the geometric center of the object
 Experimentally Determining the Center
of Gravity
• The wrench is hung freely
from two different pivots
• The intersection of the lines
indicates the center of
gravity
• A rigid object can be
balanced by a single force
equal in magnitude to its
weight as long as the force
is acting upward through
the object’s center of
gravity
 Notes About Equilibrium
• A zero net torque does not mean the absence
of rotational motion
– An object that rotates at uniform angular velocity
can be under the influence of a zero net torque
• This is analogous to the translational situation where a
zero net force does not mean the object is not in
motion
 Solving Equilibrium Problems
• Diagram the system
– Include coordinates and choose a convenient rotation axis
• Draw a free body diagram showing all the external
forces acting on the object
– For systems containing more than one object, draw a
separate free body diagram for each object
 Problem Solving, cont.
• Apply the Second Condition of Equilibrium
– This will yield a single equation, often with one unknown
which can be solved immediately
• Apply the First Condition of Equilibrium
– This will give you two more equations
• Solve the resulting simultaneous equations for all of
the unknowns
– Solving by substitution is generally easiest
 Example of a Free Body Diagram
(Forearm)

• Isolate the object to be analyzed

• Draw the free body diagram for that object
– Include all the external forces acting on the object
 Example of a Free Body Diagram
(Ladder)

• The free body diagram shows the normal force and the force of
static friction acting on the ladder at the ground
• The last diagram shows the lever arms for the forces
 Example of a Free Body Diagram
(Beam)
• The free body diagram
includes the directions
of the forces
• The weights act through
the centers of gravity of
their objects
 Torque and Angular Acceleration
• When a rigid object is subject to a net torque
(Στ ≠ 0), it undergoes an angular acceleration
• The angular acceleration is directly
proportional to the net torque
– The relationship is analogous to ∑F = ma
• Newton’s Second Law
 Moment of Inertia
• The angular acceleration is inversely
proportional to the analogy of the mass in a
rotating system
• This mass analog is called the moment of
inertia, I, of the object

– SI units are kg m2
 Newton’s Second Law for a Rotating
Object

• The angular acceleration is directly

proportional to the net torque
• The angular acceleration is inversely
proportional to the moment of inertia of the
object
 More About Moment of Inertia
• There is a major difference between moment
of inertia and mass: the moment of inertia
depends on the quantity of matter and its
distribution in the rigid object
• The moment of inertia also depends upon the
location of the axis of rotation
 Moment of Inertia of a Uniform Ring
• Imagine the hoop is
divided into a number
of small segments, m1 …
• These segments are
equidistant from the
axis
Other Moments of Inertia
 Example, Newton’s Second Law for
Rotation
• Draw free body diagrams of
each object
• Only the cylinder is rotating,
so apply St = I a
• The bucket is falling, but not
rotating, so apply SF = m a
• Remember that a = a r and
solve the resulting
equations
 Rotational Kinetic Energy
• An object rotating about some axis with an
angular speed, ω, has rotational kinetic energy
KEr = ½Iω2
• Energy concepts can be useful for simplifying
the analysis of rotational motion
 Conservation of Energy
• Conservation of Mechanical Energy

– Remember, this is for conservative forces, no

dissipative forces such as friction can be present
– Potential energies of any other conservative forces
could be added
 Work-Energy in a Rotating System
• In the case where there are dissipative forces
such as friction, use the generalized Work-
Energy Theorem instead of Conservation of
Energy
• Wnc = DKEt + DKEr + DPE
 Problem Solving Hints for Energy
Methods
• Choose two points of interest
– One where all the necessary information is given
– The other where information is desired
• Identify the conservative and nonconservative
forces
 Problem Solving Hints for Energy
Methods, cont
• Write the general equation for the Work-
Energy theorem if there are nonconservative
forces
– Use Conservation of Energy if there are no
nonconservative forces
• Use v = r w to eliminate either w or v from the
equation
• Solve for the unknown
 Angular Momentum
• Similarly to the relationship between force
and momentum in a linear system, we can
show the relationship between torque and
angular momentum
• Angular momentum is defined as
–L=Iω

– and
 Angular Momentum, cont
• If the net torque is zero, the angular momentum
remains constant
• Conservation of Angular Momentum states: Let Li
and Lf be the angular momenta of a system at two
different times, and suppose there is no net external
torque so Σ τ = 0, then angular momentum is said to
be conserved
 Conservation of Angular Momentum
• Mathematically, when

– Applies to macroscopic objects as well as atoms

and molecules
 Conservation of Angular Momentum,
Example
• With hands and feet
drawn closer to the
body, the skater’s
angular speed increases
– L is conserved, I
decreases, w increases
 Conservation of Angular Momentum,
Example, cont
• Coming out of the spin,
arms and legs are
extended and rotation
is slowed
– L is conserved, I
increases, w decreases

Section 8.7
 Conservation of Angular Moment,
Astronomy Example

• Crab Nebula, result of supernova

• Center is a neutron star
– As the star’s moment of inertia decreases, its rotational
speed increases