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The Inertia Tensor
The Inertia Tensor
Dale E. Gary
NJIT Physics Department
10.3 The Inertia Tensor
For the case of a body rotating about a fixed axis, we are always free to
arbitrarily call the axis the z axis, so that what we have discussed up to now
(e.g. Ixz, Iyz, Izz) is sufficent.
However, objects may not be constrained to rotate about a fixed axis, e.g.
a tumbling object in free-fall. We can still take the instantaneous rotation
axis as the z axis, but the axis itself can be changing with time.
In addition, there are certain spin axis directions for which the angular
momentum L and the rotation axis are in the same direction. These are
called principal axes.
Finally, as invariably happens, any symmetries of the object make these
principal axes obvious, and the calculations are a lot easier when
symmetries can be taken advantage of.
What we will find is that one can calculate a single inertia tensor through
a point that takes account of the shape of the object independent of the
axis of rotation, and once that is established, the angular momentum about
any axis through that point can be determined.
We will also find that there are certain coordinate axes, the principal axes,
for which the inertia tensor becomes especially simple.
0
a
0
a
0
a
0
a
0
a
I xx dx y 2 dy dz dx dy z 2 dz 23 a 5 23 Ma 2 .
0
I xx a /2
a /2
dx
a /2
a /2
y dy
2
a /2
a /2
dz
a /2
a /2
dx
a /2
a /2
dy
a /2
a /2
z 2 dz 2 23 a 2 (a / 2)3 16 Ma 2 .
but the off-diagonals are all odd functions, so when we change the limits they
all go to zero, e.g.
a /2 a /2 a /2 a /2 a /2 a /2
I xy dx dy dz xy, xdx ydy dz 0.
a /2 a /2 a /2 a /2 a /2 a /2
The last form is just for further discussion. A matrix with all zero off-diagonal
elements is, as we said, called a diagonal matrix. We can then write
L Iω (1 x , 2 y , 3 z ).
What this means is that whenever points along one of the three coordinate
axes, L and are parallel. This brings us (finally) to the concept of principal
axes of inertia.
This is the angular velocity of precession of the top. When gravity becomes
greater, so that we cannot ignore the changes in and , then we will find
another wobble of the top, called nutation (see section 10.10).
The Earth displays exactly these same motions, in this case due to non-central
forces by the Sun and Moon. The precession of the equinoxes takes about
23,000 years, and over time makes the north pole of the Earth point to
different “pole stars.” The current pole star, Polaris, will cease being the
“north star” over time.