Some concepts are indispensable in physics.

Momentum, defined as mv, is one: It is constant

unless a force acts. No matter how complicated a
system, momentum is conserved in collisions. A
similar concept is useful in rotations: angular
momentum. It is the subject of today’s lecture.
 z
Angular momentum
of a single particle r
L
y
O
r r
r p

x
r r r
Lrp
Angular Momentum
 r r r
Lrp

r r
r p
L  r p sin  

L   r sin   p  r p
L  r  p sin    r p
Just different ways of writing L !!
Angular momentum y
vy
of projectile v
v0
Find L about O after vx

time t :
O x
x   v 0 cos   t
1 2
y   v 0 sin   t  gt
2
v x  v0 cos 
v y  v 0 sin   gt
  
   
L  r  p  x iˆ  y ˆj  v x iˆ  v y ˆj m

 m  x v x  y v y  v x kˆ
1 2 ˆ
 m  gt v 0 cos   gt v 0 cos   k
2

2 
m 2
  gt v0 cos  kˆ
2
Torque (reminder)
  
z   rF
  r F sin 
O
y
x r F

 Relation between torque and
angular momentum
r r r
Lrp
r r r r r r
L  L   r  r    p  p 
r r r r r r r r r r
L  L  r  p  r  p  r  p  r  p
r r r r r
L  r  p  r  p
 r r r r r r r
L r   p   r  p r  p  r r
 r  p
t t t t

Take limit as t  0 :
r r
L dL
Q lim 
t 0 t dt
r r r
dL r d p d r r
 r  p
dt dt dt
 r
dr r r r
But is v and p  m v !
dt
r
dr r r r r r
 p  v  mv  m  v  v   0
dt
and we are left with only
r r
dL r d p
r
dt dt
Now use Newton’s second law:
r dp r
F
dt
r
dL r r
  r F
dt
r
dL r
 
dt
 r
dL r
 
dt
The net torque acting on a particle is
equal to the time rate of change of its
angular momentum.
 r
dL r
 
dt
The Spinning Wheel z precession

r
L
The torque changes the
direction but NOT
the magnitude of an
angular momentum
O
 z r sin 

r r r
  r F r

r r
where F  mg
r
   Mgr sin  r
r
r r  Mg
 is perpendicular to L.
 it cannot change the
r O
magnitude of L !!
 r r z  L sin 
L   t
L
  r
L sin 
L
 t
 r
L sin  L

Precession speed P is:

P  O
t
 Mgr sin  Mgr
  
L sin  L sin  L
 b
Example O x

  r F sin   r
where r sin   b
m
and F  mg
   mgb

y
r r
Right hand rule shows F  mg
r r
that  is directed inwards. 
 b
O x
L  rp sin 
where r sin   b 
r
and p  mv  mgt
m
 L  mgbt
r 
L is directed inwards y
r r r
p  mv
L
 b
O x
r
dL d
  mgtb  $k  r
dt dt
 mgb $k m

  mgb $k 
y
both are equal ! r r
F  mg
r r
p  mv
Angular momentum for r
rn
a system of particles
O
r r r r N r
L  L1  L2    LN   Ln
n 1
r r r r N
r
dL dL1 dL2 dLN dLn
     
dt dt dt dt n 1 dt
 r
d Ln r
Since n
dt
r
dL N
r
  n
dt n 1

Thus the time rate of change of the total

angular momentum of a system of
particles equals the net torque acting on
the system.
 There are two sources of the torque acting
on the system
1) The torque exerted on the particles of
the system by internal forces between the
particles
2) The torque exerted on the particles of
the system by external forces
r r r
   int   ext
If the forces between two particles not
only are equal and opposite but are also
directed along the line joining the two
particles, then the total internal torque is
zero.
r
 int  0
 r r r r
 int  1   2 r
r1
r12
r r r r
 r1  F12  r2  F21 r
but
r2
r r O
F12   F21  F rˆ12
r r r r r
  int   r1  r2   F12  r12   F rˆ12 
r
 F  r12  rˆ12   0
Hence r
r r dL
   ext 
dt
The net external torque acting on a system
of particles is equal to the time rate of
change of the of the total angular
momentum of the system
r r
r dL r dL
 ext 
dt
  F ext 
dt
Conservation of Angular Momentum

If no net external torque acts on the

system, then the angular momentum of
the system does not change with the time
r
dL r
 0  L  a constant
dt
 r r
r dp r dL
F  
dt dt
r r r
p  m v  L  ??
 z
z
O y
r
c O y
r r
x r r r
p
x
r
L depends on the choice of the origin:
r r r r r r r r r
L  r   p   c  r   p  c  p  L
 Rotation of
Rigid Bodies
 y
Every point moves
in a circular path

Axis of rotation

P x
A
z
Reference line AP moves
through the same angle
 Kinematics of a rigid body can be
described by the motion of point P
z
y
P
r x
y

x
 Cross-sectional Slice
y
s

r
P
r
s

A x
Linear and angular velocity
  
v r
v   r sin 
 z
v P
A
r sin 
 
 r
y
x
Linear and angular acceleration

 dv d  
a  r
dt dt
 
d    dr
 r 
dt dt
   
 r  v
  
a  aT  aR
 z aT
P
aR
A
r sin 
  r
y
x
 z
r
r
Lz

r
r
r r
r2 r1 r 2 r
 
L  2mr 
r
 I
O y
x
 Lorb
23.50

Lrot
Sun
Earth

Which is greater?
(a) The angular momentum of the Earth
due to rotation on its axis.
(b) The angular momentum of the Earth
due to its orbital motion around the sun.
 Lorb
23.50

Lrot
Sun
Earth

2 2 
Lrot  I    MRE  
5 
Lorb  Rorb p  Rorb Mv  Rorb M  Rorb   MRorb
2

2
Lorb 5  Rorb 
   ? 1  Lorb ? Lrot
Lrot 2  RE 
 M

m
 L  I   mvR
M
dL

dt
d
 mg  R   I   mvR  m
dt
 d   dv 
I   mR  
 dt   dt  R
 I  mRa
mg
 a R
1
M
I  MR 2

2
1 2
mgR   MR  (a / R )  mRa
2 
m
2mg
a R
M  2m
mg
 MR 2 3MR 2
Ii  If 
2 2
 Ii  1
I ii  I f  f   f  i   , for one disc I  MR 2
 If 2
 
 MR 2 2  1
 f  i   2 
= i
 2 3MR  3
Rolling a sphere, cylinder and hoop:

Mg sin   f  Ma cm
 a cm
f  I cm  I cm 2
 R R
g sin 
a cm 
1  I cm / MR 2
 5
a cm  sphere   g sin 
7

2
a cm  cylinder   g sin 
3
1
a cm  hoop   g sin 
2
Sphere will reach first !!
• central force motion
 

If the radius the earth, assumed to be a

perfect sphere, suddenly shrinks to half its
present value, the mass of the Earth
remaining unchanged, what will be the
duration of one day?
Applying the law of conservation of
angular momentum

I ii  I f  f

2 2   2  2 
2  2

 MRi      MR f   
5   Ti  5   Tf 
2 2 2
R 2
Rf  Rf  1
i
 or T f    Ti    (24hours)
Ti Tf  Ri  2
1
T f    (24hours)  6 hours
4
M v1  M v2

R
O
 M
 M

R
O

Decrease in angular momentum

of the block about O  M (v1  v 2 ) R
If cylinder acquires an angular velocity 
as a result of collision, then its angular
momentum  I 
Use angular momentum conservation:
I   M (v1  v 2 ) R

The linear velocity of the cylinder at

its periphery is identical with the final
velocity of the block:
v2 v2
   . Hence I  M (v1  v 2 ) R
R R
v1
v2 
(1  I / MR )
2
A wheel has eight spokes and radius of 30
cm. It is mounted on a fixed axle and is
spinning at 2.5 rev/s. You want to shoot a
24-cm arrow parallel to this axle and
through the wheel without hitting any of
the spokes. Assume that the arrow and the
spokes are very thin. (a) What minimum
speed must the arrow have? (b) Does it
matter where between the axle and the rim
of the wheel you aim? If so, where is the
best location?
 length of the arrow
minimum speed =
time to pass one spoke
2 r
s = distance traveled by one spoke =
8
distance traveled by one spoke
time to pass one spoke =
speed of spoke
s 2 r
time to pass one spoke = =
v 8r
 8r
So minimum speed =  4.8 m/s
2 r
Does not matter where we aim!!
T

mg
A disk of mass M = 2.5kg and radius
R=20cm is mounted on a fixed
horizontal axle. A block of mass m =
1.2kg hangs from a light cord that is
wrapped around the rim of the disk.
Find the acceleration of the falling
block, the tension in the cord, and the
angular acceleration of the disk.
T

mg
 F  mg  T  ma
1 2 a 
  TR  2 MR  R 
1
T  Ma
2
2m
ag  4.8 m/s 2
M  2m
M
T  mg  6.0 N
M  2m
a
   3.8 rev/s 2
R
A uniform solid cylinder of radius R =
12cm and mass M = 3.2kg is given an
initial clockwise angular velocity 0 of
15rev/s and then lowered on to a flat
horizontal surface. The coefficient of
kinetic friction between the surface and
the cylinder is k = 0.21. Initially, the
cylinder slips as it moves along the
surface, but after a time t pure rolling
without slipping begins. (a) What is the
velocity vcm? (b) What is the value of t?
 y
N

0
R
f   k N   k Mg
Mg x
  vcm  0 
F x  Ma cm M
 t 0 

vcm
k Mg  M
t
  f  i 
  I cm  I cm  t  0 
 
   vcm / R   0  
2
1
k MgR   MR   
2   t 
 1
vcm  0 R  3.8m / s
3
0 R
t  1.8s
3 k g
A solid cylinder of mass M and radius R
rolls without slipping down an inclined
plane of length L and height h. Find the
speed of its center of mass when the
cylinder reaches the bottom.
Solve same problem using forces
and torques:

f N

Mg sin 
h 
Mg cos  Mg

N  Mg cos   0
Mg sin   f  Ma cm
f R  I cm
I cm
f 
R
vcm  R
a cm  R
 1 2   a cm  1
f   MR   2   2 Ma cm
2  R 
2
a cm  g sin 
3
v  v 0  2ax
2 2

v 2
cm  2a cm L
4 h 4
v 2
cm  g   L  gh
3 L 3
4
v cm  gh
3