Rotation of a Rigid Object

About a Fixed Axis

Chapter 10
10.1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
Pictures from Physics for Scientists & Engineers,
by Serway & Beichner
 Terminal Objectives
At the end of this topic, the student should be able to:

Understand the concept of a rigid object

Compare angular and linear quantities
Understand the physics of rotating objects
Calculate torque for an object rotating about
an axis.
Calculate work done, power and energy for a
rotating object

June 23, 2004 Anjuli Ahooja 2

June 23, 2004 Anjuli Ahooja 3
 Rigid Body

Multiple
Particle
Particles

Elastic Body

http://users.rowan.edu/~zhang/dynamics/notes/note_ch17.htm

June 23, 2004 Anjuli Ahooja 4

 Rigid Object
One that cannot be deformed
Every point in the object is at a fixed distance
from the others
CD in a Discman
Earth
Rock
 Rigid body motions: Translation
Center of mass to denote the motion of the
rigid body
Motion of one point completely describes
the motion of the entire rigid body
Orientation of the body never changes
Every line segment on the body remains
parallel to its original direction.
The movements of the points are parallel
Every point has same velocity and
acceleration http://users.rowan.edu/~zhang/dynamics/notes/note_ch17.htm

June 23, 2004 Anjuli Ahooja 6

 Rigid Body Motion: Pure Rotation:

Rotation of rigid objects about a fixed axis

Pure rotational motion
The rigid body rotates about a fixed axis
All points are rotating about same fixed axis.
No two points have same linear velocity or
linear acceleration

http://users.rowan.edu/~zhang/dynamics/notes/note_ch17.htm

June 23, 2004 Anjuli Ahooja 7

 General Motion
Translation + Rotation

http://users.rowan.edu/~zhang/dynamics/notes/note_ch17.htm
June 23, 2004 Anjuli Ahooja 8
Angular Displacement
Object rotating about the axis
through O
Point P moving in a circular
motion as shown in the
figure (anticlockwise)
r is the distance of P from the
axis of rotation
s is the arc length
is the angle swept by the OP
 Angular Displacement

s r
s

r

where, is in radians (it is the ratio

of the same unit!)
 Changing degrees to radians
180
0

1 radian
180 0 90
0

2

0 60
0

180 3
1 degree

45
0

4

30
0

6
 Angular Displacement & Speed
= f - i
Average angular speed
Angular displacement
per unit time

f - i

tf - ti
For small changes in time
d
lim
t 0 t dt
 Instantaneous Angular Speed &
Angular Velocity
d
Unit for angular speed : rads/s
Or just per seconds - /s
dt
For angular velocity, direction is
required right hand rule

If rotation is counter clockwise

increasing positive
If rotation is clockwise
decreasing negative
 Angular Acceleration
Average angular acceleration
f - i

tf - ti
or, for small t


t

The above is called Instantaneous angular acceleration

 Angular Acceleration
Every point in a rigid body

will cover the same angle (will have the same

angular displacement)

Will have the same angular speed

Will experience the same angular

acceleration
 Rotational Kinematics
Motion with Constant Angular Acceleration
f = i + t

f 2 = i2 + 2

= it + 0.5 t2
 Rotational Kinematics
Motion with Constant Angular Acceleration
1) Example 10.1 (page 296)
Also, the exercise attached to it
2) Q 3 on page 317
 Angular & Linear Quantities

s r at
dv
dt
ds
v
dt d
at r
dt
d (r )
v
dt

vr
d at r
dt

v r
 Angular & Linear Quantities

s r
v r
at r
 Angular & Linear Quantities
Centripetal Acceleration
2
v
sr a
r
v r r
2 2
ar
r
at r
ar r 2
 Total Acceleration

a ar at

a a t ar
2 2

a r r
2 2 2 4

ar 2 4
Example 10.2 page 298
 Rotational Energy
Because of the rotational motion, each particle in the
rigid body will have kinetic energy,
1
K i mv 2
2
as, v r
1
K i m i i ri
2 2

2
Total rotational kinetic energy
of the rigid object is :
1
K R m i ri 2
2

2
i
 Moment of Inertia
1
K R m i ri
2 2

2 i
As, is a same for all the the particles,
1 2 2
K R m i ri
2 i
The quantity in brackets is called the Moment of
Inertia:
I m r
2
i i
i

1
K R I 2
2
Moments of Inertia of Rigid Bodies
Example 10.4 (page 301)
 Torque
Torque is a twist and is applied to
an object to make the object turn
about its axis of rotation.
It deals with rotational motion. It
is similar to a force being applied
to an object that changes its
linear rate of motion.
When torque is applied it
changes an objects rate of
rotational motion
http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/curriculum/classroom/torque.html

http://www.slcc.edu/schools/hum_sci/physics/tutor/2210/torque/
 Torque
A TORQUE WRENCH FOR DNA, an experimental tool for
twisting the double-helix molecule at one of its ends, can
yield once-elusive information on its mechanical properties.
DNA is much more than a database of genetic information;
it is a versatile machine that can duplicate itself, build and
repair cells, and regulate cell functions. By attaching one
end of a DNA molecule to a surface and affixing a tiny
magnetic bead to the free end, experimentalists in France
devised a clever way to twist a single molecule and stretch it
with external magnets

http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/1998/split/pnu387-2.htm
 Torque
The magnitude of the torque is
measured by multiplying the
perpendicular component of the
force applied by the distance
between the objects axis of rotation
and the point where the force is
applied.

Torque = Force x Distance

Door Example
http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/curriculum/classroom/torque.html
Line of action
Moment arm (or
the lever arm)

=rF

= r F sin
=Fd

UNIT: N-m
 Torque
For linear motion non-zero net force is requires

For rotational motion Non zero net torque is

required

This means that for rotational motion, in addition

to a non-zero net force, non zero moment arms are
also required
 Sign Convention for Torque

Positive (+) Torque:

Force F tries to rotate an object in the
counterclockwise direction
Negative (-) Torque:
Force F tries to rotate an object in the
clockwise direction
Finding the Net Torque
An object is pivoted at
O
Two forces F1 and F2 act
on it.
F1 tries to rotate it
counterclockwise (+ ve
torque)
F2 tries to rotate it
clockwise (-ve torque)
Net Torque
= 1 + 2
= F1d1 + (-F2d2)
= F1d1 - F2d2
Example 10.9 (page 307)
 Torque & Angular Momentum
Linear Momentum Quantity of motion in
linear motion
Angular Momentum- Quantity of motion in
rotational motion
 Torque & Angular Momentum
Ft = mat
As, = Ft r
= (m at)r
= (m r )r
= m r2
=I

Torque is proportional to the angular acceleration

(compare it to the statement that force F is proportional to linear
acceleration a)
Example 10.10 (page 309)
Example 10.13 (page 310)
 Power
dW = Fds
dW = (F sin) r d
dW = d

dW d

dt dt
dW

dt
Power (P)

Compare this with P = F. v in linear motion

 Work & Energy

I d I d
d dW I d
I
dt f f

dW d I d
d d
I i i
d dt
1 1
W I f - I i
2 2

d 2 2
I
d
Example 10.14 (page 314)
Example 10.15 (page 314)
http://hawaii.aist-nara.ac.jp/equipment/robot.html www.iupui.edu/~kinesio/ trig-project/force.htm

June 23, 2004 Anjuli Ahooja 43

 Practice questions
Rigid Body Motion

10.2, 10.8, 10.18, 10.23, 10.24, 10.26,

10.32, 10.38, 10.42

June 23, 2004 Anjuli Ahooja 44