PHY 210

MECHANICS II AND THERMAL PHYSICS

CHAPTER 1 – ROTATIONAL MOTION
• At the end of this chapter you should be able to:
• Define and write the equation related to angular displacement, angular
velocity, angular acceleration and rotational kinematics.
• State the relationship between angular quantities and linear quantities
• Solve the problem using rotational kinematics equation.
• Define and solve simple problems of torque and static equilibrium.
• Define and understand the concepts of moments of inertia, angular
momentum and its conservation.
• Understand the concept and solve its simple problem regarding rotational
kinetics energy, conservation of energy in translational and rotational
Angular Quantities – Angular displacement
& Angular velocity
Angular displacement:

The average angular velocity is defined as

the total angular displacement divided by
time:

The instantaneous angular velocity:

Angular Quantities – Angular acceleration

The angular acceleration is the rate at which the angular velocity

changes with time:

The instantaneous acceleration:

Angular Quantities
Angular displacement:    f   i

 f   i 
Average angular speed:   
t f  ti t

 d
Instantaneous angular   lim 
t 0 t dt
speed:
 f   i 
Average angular acceleration:   
t f  ti t

 d
Instantaneous angular acceleration:   lim 
t  0 t dt
Angular velocity
is a vector

Right-hand rule for

determining the direction
of this vector.

Every particle (of a rigid object):

• rotates through the same angle,

• has the same angular velocity,
• has the same angular acceleration.
q, w, a characterize rotational motion of
entire object
Kinematic equation for angular quantities
Linear motion with constant linear Rotational motion with constant rotational
acceleration, a. acceleration, a.

v xf  v xi  a x t  f   i  t
1 1
x f  xi  (v xi  v xf )t
2
 f   i  ( i   f )t
2

1 2 1 2
x f  xi  v xi t  a x t  f   i   i t  t
2 2
2 2 2 2
v xf  v xi  2a x ( x f  xi )  f   i  2 ( f   i )
Relation between angular and linear quantities
Arc length s:

s  r 
Tangential speed of a point P:

vt  r  
Tangential acceleration of a point P:

at  r   Note: This is not the centripetal acceleration ar

This is the tangential acceleration at
Every point on a rotating body has an angular
velocity ω and a linear velocity v.
They are related:
vt  r  

If the angular velocity of a rotating object changes, it

has a tangential acceleration:
r r
at  r  

Even if the angular velocity is constant, each point on the object has
a centripetal acceleration: r
r
r r
 Conceptual Questions
Is the lion faster than the horse?
On a rotating carousel or merry-go-round, one child sits on a horse near the
outer edge and another child sits on a lion halfway out from the center. (a)
Which child has the greater linear velocity? (b) Which child has the greater
angular velocity?
Example 1: Angular Quantities
Angular and linear velocities and
accelerations.
A carousel is initially at rest. At t = 0 it is given
a constant angular acceleration α = 0.060
rad/s2, which increases its angular velocity for
8.0 s. At t = 8.0 s, determine the magnitude of
the following quantities: (a) the angular velocity
of the carousel; (b) the linear velocity of a child
located 2.5 m from the center; (c) the
tangential (linear) acceleration of that child; (d)
the centripetal acceleration of the child; and (e)
the total linear acceleration of the child.
Example 1: Solution

r
r

r
Example 2: Kinematic equations
Centrifuge acceleration.
A centrifuge rotor is accelerated from rest to 20,000 rpm in 30 s.
(a) What is its average angular acceleration? (b) Through how
many revolutions has the centrifuge rotor turned during its
acceleration period, assuming constant angular acceleration?
Example 2: Solution
 Exercise 1
A wheel starts from rest and rotates with
constant angular acceleration and reaches an
angular speed of 12.0 rad/s in 3.00 s.
1. What is the magnitude of 2. Through what angle does 3. Through what angle does
the angular acceleration the wheel rotate in these the wheel rotate between
of the wheel (in rad/s2)? 3 sec (in rad)? 2 and 3 sec (in rad)?
A. 0 A. 18 A. 5
B. 1 B. 24 B. 10
C. 2 C. 30 C. 15
D. 3 D. 36 D. 20
E. 4 E. 48 E. 25
Exercise 2
The platter of the hard drive of a computer rotates at 7200 rpm
(rpm = revolutions per minute = rev/min). (a) What is the angular
velocity (rad/s) of the platter? (b) If the reading head of the drive
is located 3.00 cm from the rotation axis, what is the linear speed
of the point on the platter just below it? (c) If a single bit requires
0.50 μm of length along the direction of motion, how many bits
per second can the writing head write when it is 3.00 cm from the
axis?
 Introduction of Torque
• A torque is an action that causes
objects to rotate.
• Torque is not the same thing as
force.
• For rotational motion, the torque is
what is most directly related to the
motion, not the force.
 Definition of Torque
• Torque can be defined as
• Tendency of force to rotate an object about the axis of rotation

  d F
Force (N)
Moment of arm /lever arm(m)
Unit torque = Nm
• Moment of arm – distance which perpendicular from a line of force to
the axis of rotation.
d  r sin 
Radius of rotation Angle between radius and line of force
 Torque
• Torque is created when the line
of action of a force does not
pass through the center of
rotation.
• The line of action is an
imaginary line that follows the
direction of a force and passes
though its point of application.
 Torque
• To get the maximum torque, the
force should be applied in a
direction that creates the greatest
lever arm.
• The lever arm is the perpendicular
distance between the line of θ

action of the force and the center

of rotation
  d F
  Fr sin
When the force and lever arm are NOT perpendicular
 Example 3: Torque

• A force of 50 newtons is applied to a

wrench that is 30 centimeters long.

 Calculate the torque if the force is

applied perpendicular to the wrench
which the lever arm is 30 cm.
 Example 3: Solution

Force is applied perpendicular to the wrench so the lever

arm is 30 cm. Thus, torque is
  r F
 0.3m  50 N
 15Nm
 Example 4: Calculate net torque

Two thin disk-shaped wheels, of

radii RA = 30 cm and RB = 50 cm, are
attached to each other on an axle
that passes through the center of
each, as shown.
Calculate the net torque on this
compound wheel due to the two
forces shown, each of magnitude 50
N.
 Example 4: Solution

The torque due to FA tends to accelerate the wheel

counterclockwise, whereas the torque due to FB
tends to accelerate the wheel clockwise.
 Exercise 3

 A 20-centimeter wrench is
used to loosen a bolt.
 The force is applied 0.20 m
from the bolt.
• It takes 50 N to loosen the bolt when the force is applied
perpendicular to the wrench.
• How much force would it take if the force was applied at a
30-degree angle from perpendicular? (ans:57.74 N)
 Static Equilibrium
• When an object is in static equilibrium,
• the net force applied to it is zero, F 0
• the net torque applied to it is zero,
  0
Examples Equilibrium implies the object is at rest
• Book on table (static) or its center of mass moves with a
• Hanging sign constant velocity (dynamic)
• Ceiling fan – off We will consider only with the case in which
linear and angular velocities are equal to
• Ceiling fan – on
zero, called “static equilibrium” :
• Ladder leaning against wall
vCM = 0 and w = 0
 Conditions for Equilibrium
• The first condition of equilibrium is a
statement of translational
equilibrium
• The net external force on the object
must equal zero
  
Fnet   Fext  ma  0

• It states that the translational

acceleration of the object’s center of
mass must be zero
 Conditions for Equilibrium
• If the object is modeled as a
particle, then this is the only
condition that must be satisfied
 
Fnet   Fext  0
• For an extended object to be in
equilibrium, a second condition
must be satisfied
• This second condition involves the
rotational motion of the extended
object
05/02/2023
 Conditions for Equilibrium
• The second condition of
equilibrium is a statement of
rotational equilibrium
• The net external torque on the
object must equal zero
  
 net    ext  I  0
• It states the angular acceleration
of the object to be zero
• This must be true for any axis of
rotation
 Conditions for Equilibrium of a rigid object

• The net force equals zero F  0
• If the object is modeled as a particle, then this is the only condition
that must be satisfied

• The net torque equals zero    0
• This is needed if the object cannot be modeled as a particle
• These conditions describe the rigid objects in the equilibrium
analysis model.
 Example 5: Static equilibrium
• When an object is in static equilibrium, the net torque and net force
applied to it is zero.
• Rotational equilibrium is often used to determine unknown forces.
• What are the forces (FA, FB) holding the bridge up at either end?
Example 5: Solution
 Exercise 4

• A boy and his cat sit on a seesaw.

• The cat has a mass of 4 kg and sits 2 m from the center of
rotation.
• If the boy has a mass of 50 kg, where should he sit so that the
see-saw will balance?
Rotational Inertia
Key Question:
Does mass resist rotation the way it resists acceleration?
Rotational Inertia
• Inertia is the name for an object’s
resistance to a change in its motion
(or lack of motion).
• Rotational inertia is the term used to
describe an object’s resistance to a
change in its rotational motion.
• An object’s rotational inertia depends
not only on the total mass, but also
on the way mass is distributed.
Rotational Inertia
• To put the equation into rotational motion variables, the force is
replaced by the torque about the center of rotation.
• The linear acceleration is replaced by the angular acceleration.
Rotational Inertia
• A rotating mass on a rod can be described with variables from linear or
rotational motion.
Rotational Inertia
• The product of mass × radius squared (mr2) is the rotational inertia for
a point mass where r is measured from the axis of rotation.
Moment of Inertia
• The sum of mr2 for all the particles of mass in a solid is called the
moment of inertia (I).
• Moment of inertia (rotational inertia) of an object depends on:
- the axis about which the object is rotated.
- the mass of the object.
- the distance between the mass(es) and the axis of rotation.
Moment of Inertia
The moment of inertia of some simple
shapes rotated around axes that pass
through their centers.
Moment of inertia for some objects
Rotation and Newton's 2nd Law
• If you apply a torque to a wheel, it will spin in the direction
of the torque.
• The greater the torque, the greater the angular acceleration.
Rotational Kinetic Energy

A rotating object (collection of i

points with mass mi) has a
rotational kinetic energy of

1 2
K R  I 
2
2
Where: I   mi  ri Moment of inertia or
rotational inertia
i
Conservation of energy (including rotational energy):

Again:
If there are no non-conservative forces energy is conserved.
Rotational kinetic energy must be included in energy
considerations!

Ei  Ef
Ui  K linear ,initial  K rotational ,initial  Uf  K linear ,final  K rotational ,final
Kinetic energy of rolling motion

Kinetic energy 1 2 1 2
KET  MvCM  I CM  
of rolling motion: 2 2
Example
A ring, a disk and a sphere (equal mass and diameter) are rolling down an
incline.
All three start at the same position; which one will be the fastest at the end of
the incline?
A. All the same
B. The disk
C. The ring
D. The sphere
 Summary: Angular and linear quantities

Linear motion
Rotational motion

1 1
Kinetic Energy: K  m  v2 Kinetic Energy: K R  I  2
2 2
   
Force:
F  ma Torque:
  I
   
Momentum: p  mv Angular Momentum:
L  I
 
Work: W  F s Work: W   
Linear motion with constant linear Rotational motion with constant rotational
acceleration, a. acceleration, a.

v xf  v xi  a x t  f   i  t

1 1
x f  xi  (v xi  v xf )t
2
 f   i  ( i   f )t
2

1 2 1 2
x f  xi  v xi t  a x t  f   i   i t  t
2 2

2 2 2 2
v xf  v xi  2a x ( x f  xi )  f   i  2 ( f   i )