All Flashcards
Define angular momentum.
The rotational version of linear momentum; a measure of an object's 'rotational motion'.
Define moment of inertia ().
A measure of an object's resistance to rotational acceleration about a specific axis.
Define angular velocity ().
The rate of change of angular displacement; how fast an object is rotating.
Define torque.
A twisting force that tends to cause rotation.
State the formula for angular momentum ().
, where is the moment of inertia and is the angular velocity.
What is the effect of decreasing the moment of inertia on angular velocity, if angular momentum is conserved?
Angular velocity increases.
What is the effect of an external torque on a system's angular momentum?
The angular momentum changes; it is no longer conserved.
What is the effect of dropping a mass at the edge of a rotating disk on the system's angular velocity?
The angular velocity decreases because the moment of inertia of the system increases.
What is the effect of the gravitational force on a planet's angular momentum in a closed orbit?
Since the gravitational force is a central force, there's no external torque on the planet, so angular momentum is conserved.
What is the effect of a disk bouncing back from a rod after collision on the rod's angular speed?
The rod's angular speed will be greater.
Define angular momentum.
The rotational version of linear momentum; a measure of an object's rotational motion.
What is moment of inertia (I)?
A measure of how hard it is to rotate an object around a specific axis.
What is angular velocity ()?
The rate at which an object is rotating, measured in radians per second.
Define torque.
A twisting force that tends to cause rotation.
What is the formula for angular momentum (L)?
, where I is the moment of inertia and is the angular velocity.
What is the definition of conservation of angular momentum?
In a closed system, the total angular momentum remains constant if no external torque acts on the system.