Chapter 10

Rotation
• So far, we have examined only the motion of
translation, in which objects move along a
straight or curved line.
• We now consider the motion of rotation, in
which an object turns about an axis.
• In translational motion, we used the following variables
to describe the motion:
➢ Time
➢ Mass
➢ Position
➢ Velocity
➢ Acceleration
➢ Force

• What are the variables that describe rotational motion?

 (10-1) The Rotational Variables
• We wish to examine the rotation of a rigid
body about a fixed axis.
• A rigid body is a body that can rotate with
all its parts locked together and without
any change in its shape.
➢ The Sun, for example, is not
considered a rigid body; because the
parts of the Sun are not locked
together (ball of gas).
• A fixed axis means that the rotation
occurs about an axis that does not move.
➢ A ball rolling along a lane has a moving
axis.
This kind of motion is
called pure rotation.
• The figure shows a
rigid body of arbitrary
shape in rotation
about a fixed axis
called the rotation
axis.
• In pure rotation,
every point of the
body moves in a circle
whose center lies on
the axis of rotation.
• Also, every point
moves through the
same angle during a
particular time interval.
Let’s first start with translational motion
Chapter 10 … rotational variables
• Consider a rigid body rotating about a fixed axis.

• Angular position is measured by the angle q (radians).

• Angular displacement is + if it is counterclockwise

and – if clockwise. • Angular displacement
is a scalar.
• Angular velocity and
dq
• Angular velocity is defined as:  = dt
acceleration are vectors
whose directions are
given by the RHR.
• Average angular velocity is defined as:  avg = q
t

d
• Angular acceleration is defined as:  =
dt


•  =
Average angular acceleration is defined as: avg t
 (10-2) Rotation with Constant
Angular Acceleration
• In pure translation, motion with a constant linear
acceleration is an important special case.
• In the case of pure rotation, motion with constant angular
acceleration is also important.
• The equations for motion with constant angular
acceleration can be obtained by the replacement:
x → q ; v →  ; a → .
(10-3) Relating the Linear & Angular Variables
When a rigid body rotates about an axis, each
particle in the body moves in its own circle
around that axis.
Since the body is rigid, all the particles make
one revolution in the same amount of time; that
is, they all have the same angular speed .
However, the farther a particle is from the axis,
the greater the circumference of its circle is,
and so the faster its linear speed v must be.
We often need to relate the linear variables
s, v, and a for a particular point in a rotating
body to the angular variables q, , and  for 2
that body.
The two sets of variables are related by r, the 1
perpendicular distance of the point from the
rotation axis. r1 r2
It is also the radius r of the circle travelled by
the point around the axis of rotation.
For a rigid body rotating about a fixed
axis, the linear and angular variables
are related by:
s = rq , v = r , at = r , ar = 2r.

rad
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 (10-4) Kinetic Energy of Rotation
• A rotating rigid body has kinetic energy due to rotation.
• How can we express this energy?
• We cannot apply the formula K = ½ mv2 to the
body as a whole because that would give us
the K. E. only of the center of mass, which is zero.
• Instead, we shall treat the rotating rigid body as
a collection of particles with different speeds.
• We can then add up the kinetic energies of all the particles to find
the kinetic energy of the body as a whole.
• Thus, we obtain, for the kinetic energy of a rotating body,
N
1 1 1 1
K = m1v1 + m2 v2 + m3 v3 + ... =  mi vi2
2 2 2

2 2 2 i =1 2
• The rotational inertia of a rigid body is defined as:

I =  mi ri =  r dm
2 2

• Group of particles

• Solid Rigid body

• The rotational kinetic energy of a rigid body is

given by:
K = ½ I w2
Some Rotational Inertias
• The rotational kinetic energy of a rigid body
is given by: K = ½ I w2

• Thus, the rotational inertia plays the same

role as mass in translational motion.

• The mass is always constant.

• The rotational inertia depends on the shape

and size of the object, as well as the axis of
rotation.
 Q
Q
 (10-6) Torque 1
• A doorknob is located as far as
possible from the door’s hinge line.
• If you want to open a heavy door,
you must certainly apply a force.
• That alone , however, is not enough.
• Where you apply that force and in
what direction you push are also
important.
• If you apply a force closer to the hinge line
than the knob, you must use a greater force
to move the door than if you apply the force
at the knob.
• If you apply the force at any angle other than 90o
to the plane of the door, you must use a greater
force to move the door than if you apply the force
perpendicular to the door’s plane.
• The figure shows a cross section of a body that is 2
free to rotate about an axis passing through O and
perpendicular to the cross section.

• A force F is applied at point P, whose position

relative to O is defined by a position vector r.

• The directions of vectors F

and r make an angle f with
each other (for simplicity,
we consider only forces that
have no component parallel
to the rotation axis; thus,
F is in the plane of the page).
• To determine how F results in a rotation of the body around the
rotation axis, we resolve F into two components (as in the figure
3
below).
• One component, called the radial component Fr, points along r.
• This component does not cause rotation, because it acts along
a line that extends through O (as if you pull on a door parallel to
the plane of the door).
• The other component of F, called the tangential component Ft,
is perpendicular to r and has magnitude Ft = F sin f.
• This component does cause rotation.
• The ability of F to rotate the body
depends on its magnitude, the
distance r and the angle f.
• Torque (t ) is defined as the
product of these three factors.
• The torque of a force on a rigid
body is given by: t = r F sinf.
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r
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We can tell that the torque due to F3 is zero.

So, it is the least torque.
Where is that option among the given choices?
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• The torque of a force on a rigid body is
given by: t = r F sinf.

• Newton’s second law for rotation can be

written as: tnet = I a.
 (10-8) Work and K.E. in Rotational Motion

• In Chapter 7, we saw that the change in

the kinetic energy of a body is related to
the net work done on it by:
DK = Kf – Ki = ½ m (vf )2 – ½ m (vi )2 = Wnet
xf

• Moreover, the work is calculated from: W =  Fdx

xi

• Finally, the rate at which work is done

(power) is:
dW  
P= = Fv
dt
• The change in the kinetic energy of a
rotating body (with no change in potential
energy and friction) is related to the work
done on the body as: DK = W.
f

• The work is related to the torque as: W =  td

i

• The rate of doing work (power) is defined

as:
dW
P= = t
dt
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