RUAS, Bangalore Rigid Body Dynamics

Rigid Body Dynamics

Rigid Body: is defined as that body which does not undergo any change in shape and size
when external forces are applied on it. The distance of any two particles of the body remains
unchanged even when forces (or torque) are applied on it.
For practical purposes, solid bodies are taken as rigid bodies.
Rigid bodies have two types of motion:
1. Translational motion
2. Rotational motion
Translation motion: when all the particles in a body more in a straight line parallel to one
another with same velocity/acceleration their relative displacements remaining unaltered, it is
said to be a translational motion.
Ex: car moving in a straight line.
Rotational motion:
When all the particles, except a few, rotate in circular orbits of different radii around a fixed
point/line called the axis of rotation then the body is undergoing rotational motion.
The linear velocities of the particles increase with the distance from the axis of rotation. The
particles on the axis of rotation are at zero velocity.
The radius vectors of all particles sweep equal angles in a given interval of time about the
axis.
Angular displacement:
Angular displacement is the angle described by a radius vector
S
S  r  
r
Angular displacement has units of radian per sec or rads-1
Angular velocity:
Angular velocity is the angle described by a rotating body per unit time.
Suppose the particle on the rigid object travels from P to Q in time t and the radius vector
sweeps out an angle   2  1 as in figure, which equals the angular displacement then the
average angular speed is can be defined as the ratio of angular displaceme to the time
interval t.

i.e.   Instantaneous angular velocity can be defined as thus:
t
 d
  lim  Angular speed has units of radian per sec or rads-1
 t 0 t dt
If the particle describes one complete revolution, then
2
  2 & t  T , In that case  
T
If the particle describes n resolutions in one second i.e n be the frequency of resolution, then
  2 n

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Angular Acceleration:
It is the rate of change of angular velocity. It is a vector quantity & denoted by ‘  '
If the instantaneous angular speed of an object changes from w1 to w2 in the time interval t ,
the object – has angular acceleration and is defined as instantaneous angular acceleration.
w2  w1 w
Thus   
t2  t1 t
Instantaneous angular acceleration i.e. at any instant can be defined by taking limit.
w dw
  lim 
 t 0 t dt
Angular acceleration has units of rads-2.
Thus  is +ve when w increases with time & -ve when w is decreasing with time.
Kinetic Energy of Rotation:
When a wheel rotates, there is K.E associated with the rotation. The wheel consists of
1
many small particles, and the K.E of particles 1 with mass m1 and speed v1 is m1v12. The
2
K.E of the entire wheel is the sum of the K.E's of all the particles that compose the wheel i.e
1
K   mi vi 2
2
Particles that are at differed distances from the axis of rotation have different linear
speeds v but, because the wheel is rigid, each particle has the same angular speed ' w ' using
 K.E is K   mi vi 2   mi  ri 2 2 
1 1
2 2
1 2
 w (mi ri 2 ) ........... 1
2
The quantity mi ri is called the moment of inertia 'I' i.e., I  mi ri 2 .............. 2
2

The moment of inertia has the dimension of [M0L2T0] and its SI unit is kgm2.
In terms of moment of inertia, the K.E of rotating object is
1 2
K Iw [using (2) in (1) ]
2
Rotational KE can be compared with translational KE
1
i.e K = mv2, then 'I' is the rotational analog of mass 'm' and 'w' is the rotational analog of
2
speed 'v'.
Moment of Inertia:
The moment of inertia is the rotational analog of mass. Mass is the property of an object that
causes the object to resist a change in its velocity.
The M.I of an object about an axis is that property of the object that causes it to resist a
change in its angular velocity about that axis.
The M.I is sometimes called the rotational inertia.

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M.I. of a rigid body about a fixed axis is also defined as the sum of the product of the masses
of all the particles constituting the body and the squares of the respective distances from the
axis of rotation.
I  mi ri 2
It is a scalar quantity.
The M.I depends on the mass of the body, position of the axis of rotation and distribution of
mass about the axis of rotation.
Theorem of Perpendicular Axis:
The M.I of a plane lamina about an axis  r to its plane is equal to the sum of moment if
inertia of the lamina about any two mutually  r axes in its own plane intersecting each other
at the point through which the  r axis passes.
Proof:
Let us consider a plane lamina lying in the XOY plane as in figure. The lamina can be
supposed to be made up of a large number of particles. Consider a particle of mass 'm' at P
from P drop  rs to x-axis & y-axis, respectively.
Then M.I of a particle about x-axis is my2
M.I of the whole of lamina about x-axis I x  my 2
Iy
M.I of the whole of lamina about y-axis is I y  mx 2
x P
M.I of the whole of lamina about z-axis is I z  my 2
z y
But z2 = x2 + y2 o x-axis
Ix
I z  m( x 2  y 2 )  mx 2  my 2
z-axis y-axis
Iz  Ix  I y Iz

For a 3-D body

Consider a 3-D body in which thee mutually  r axes meet at O let a particle P(x, y, z) of
mass in is at a distance r from O.
Therefore r2 = x2 + y2 + z2
The M.I of the body about the z-axis is Ix = m( y 2  z 2 ) & Iy = m( x 2  z 2 )
 M.I of the body about any axis passing through O is
I = mr 2  m( x 2  y 2  z 2 )

But Ix + Iy + Iz = m( x 2  y 2 )  m( y 2  z 2 )  m( z 2  x 2 )

= 2 m( x 2  y 2  z 2 )

= 2 mr 2  2I
1
 I= (I x  I y  I z )
2
Hence M.I of O, D, P body about any axis is equal to half of the sum of M.I about three
mutually  r axis about the common point of intersection.

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Theorem of Parallel Axis:

Statement:
The M.I of a body about any axis is equal to the sum of the M.I of the body about a parallel
axis through the center of gravity of the body and the product of its mass and square of the
distance between the two axes.
Proof:
Consider a body of mass M whose center of gravity is at G. Let the body rotate about an axis
AB passing through O. Let I be the MI of the body about AB. CD is another axis passing
through G and let r be the distance between the two axes. Let P be a particle of mass m at a
distance x from the axis CD.
The MI of this particle of mass 'm' about AB will be I1  m  r  x 
2

I   m r  x
2
The M.I of the body about AB is
C A
  m  r 2  x 2  2rx 

  mr 2   mx 2   2mrx
Ig I
P
x r
 Mr 2   mx2  2r  mx

Where m  M is the mass of the body,

 mx 2
 I g gives the MI of the body about the axis CD D B

passing through the centre of gravity  mx gives the algebraic sum of the moments of the
different particles about the axis CD passing through G.
Since the body will balance about G the value  mx  0

I  I g  Mr 2
This is the mathematical statement of Theorem
M.I of Disc: (Circular Lamina)
i. About the center and  r to its plane:
Consider a uniform disc of mass M & radius R as show in figure, rotating about an axis.
Passing through its center and  r to its plane
Area of the disc = R 2
Mass per unit area of the disc = M
R 2 R
dx
The disc can be imagined to be made up of large number of
concentric rings of radius x. x

Let its width be dx. Area of the ring is 2 x  dx .

M
Mass of the ring, dm  2 xdx
 R2
Then the moment of inertia of the ring,
If is the total moment of inertia of the disc,

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R
M
Then ∫ ∫ = 2 dx x 2
O
R 2

R
2M  x 4 
R
2M
I  2  x3dx  2  
R O R  4 O

MR 2
I
2
ii. About a diameter of the disc.
Since disc has a symmetrical shape, therefore MI about any other diameter would be the same
MR 2
i.e Ix = Iy and the MI about z-axis is I z 
2
I z MR 2
 I z  I x  I y  2I x  Ix  
2 4
MR 2
I
4
Note: If the axis of rotation is tangent to the disc & corresponding MI is IT.
The tangent is parallel to diameter CD of the disc
Therefore from parallel axes theorem
IT = M.I of disc about CD + MR2
1
 MR 2  MR 2
4
5
IT  MR 2
4
M.I of this rectangular Lamina (Plate):
Consider a thin rectangular lamina of mass M with length and breadth in the xy plane.
M.I about an axis passing through CM and perpendicular to the length (about yy1)
Consider a thin strip of thickness at a distance from the -axis ||  to the breadth as in
figure. Let be the mass per unit area, yl
M  M
Mass of the strip, =  Bdx  dx
 LB  L
x
1
The moment of inertia of the strip about yy ,
If is the total moment of inertia of the rectangular lamina about dx
yy1, then ∫
L L
2
y
2
M M  x3 
=  dx x 2 
L L L  3   L
 2
2

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M  L3 L3 
  
3L  8 8

M  2 L3  ML2
=  
3L  8  12

ML2 L
I  Radius of gyration, k y 
12 12
M.I about an axis passing through CM and perpendicular to the Breadth (about xx1)
Consider a thin strip at a distance ‘ ’ from x – axis parallel to the length.
Let be the mass per unit area,

M  M
Mass of the strip, =  Ldy  dy
 LB  B
1
The moment of inertia of the strip about ,
1
If is the total moment of inertia of the rectangular lamina about , then
∫
B B
2
2
M M y  3
=  dy y 2 
B B B  3   B xl

2
2 x
y
M B B 
3 3
    dy
3B  8 8 

M  2 B3  MB 2
=  
3B  8  12

MB 2 B
I  Radius of gyration, k y 
12 12
M.I about an axis passing through CM and  r to the plane (about zz1).
From perpendicular axis theorem,

M 2 L2  B 2
Iz = Ix + Iy Iz = (L  B2 ) Radius of gyration, k z 
12 12
Torque & Newton’s Second Law:
When a force is exerted on a rigid object pivoted about an axis, the object tends to rotate
about that axis the tendency of a force to rotate the object about same axis is measured by a
quantity called torque  . The torque measures the turning or twisting effect of force. The
torque is also often called the moment of force.
The moment of force about a fixed point is defined as,   r  F , where F is the force and 
is the torque

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The relation between torque and the angular momentum is

Lrp
Differentiating w r to t
dL d
 r  p
dt dt
dr dp
  pr
dt dt
 v  mv  r  F v v  0
 r F
   rF sin  nˆ
The torque is the rate of change of momentum and is similar to the force being equal to the
rate of change of linear momentum
SI unit of torque is the newton-meter (Nm).
If the body rotates anticlockwise, the torques is +ve and clockwise. The torque is –ve.
Angular momentum:
The angular momentum L of a particle with respect to a point fixed to an inertial frame plays
an important role in the particle dynamics and defined as
Lrp

Where r the position is vector of the particle and p is the linear momentum. L is
perpendicular to the plane containing r and p .

L  rp sin   rp sin 180     rp sin   p  r sin    p  r sin    p  ON

Where ON is the perpendicular from O to the momentum vector p .

Hence angular momentum of a particle is defined as the moment of linear momentum
Lrp
 r  mv
 r  mv
dr
 mr 
dt
d
 mr   rrˆ 
dt
 drˆ dr 
 mr   r  rˆ 
 dt dt 
The Angular Momentum of rotator motion is equal to linear momentum in translator motion.
It is a vector quantity

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KE of a rolling body
Consider a body with circular symmetry, Examples: Cylinder, wheel, disc, sphere etc. rolls
on a plane surface. Its motion is a combination of translation and rotation. If the speed of the
center of mass is , angular speed where is the radius of the body

If is the moment of inertia of the rolling body about the point P, then kinetic energy is

----- 1
Form parallel axis theorem, we know that
------ 2
Substituting equation 2 in euation 1, we get

( )

The moment of inertia, where is radius of gyration

----3

Here and

Therefore equation 3 becomes

( )

Here total KE of rolling body = KE of translation + KE of rotation.

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