All Flashcards
What is torque?
The rotational equivalent of force; what causes an object to rotate.
What is angular displacement?
How much an object has rotated, measured in radians.
Define work done by a torque.
The energy transferred when a torque acts over an angular displacement.
What are the units for torque?
Newton-meters (N⋅m).
What are the units for angular displacement?
Radians (rad).
How do you calculate the work done by a constant torque?
The work done by a constant torque is calculated by multiplying the torque by the angular displacement: .
How do you calculate work done by a variable torque?
The work done by a variable torque is calculated by integrating the torque with respect to the angular displacement: .
How do you determine work done from a torque vs. angular position graph?
The work done is equal to the area under the torque vs. angular position curve.
What is the first step to solving a rotational work-energy problem?
Identify all the torques acting on the object and their respective angular displacements.
What is the final step to solving a rotational work-energy problem?
Apply the work-energy theorem or the principle of conservation of energy to relate the work done to the change in rotational kinetic energy.
How do you determine work done from a torque-angle graph?
Calculate the area under the curve of the graph.
How do you determine the sign of work done by torque?
If torque and angular displacement are in the same direction, work is positive. If they are in opposite directions, work is negative.