Physics 114A - Mechanics

Lecture 27 (Walker: Ch. 11.5-7)

Angular Momentum
February 27, 2012

John G. Cramer
Professor Emeritus, Department of Physics
B451 PAB
jcramer@uw.edu
 Announcements
 HW#8 is due at 11:59 PM on Thursday, March 1.
HW#9 is due at 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 11.
 There are still a few people who need to register their
clickers.
 We will have Exam 3 on Friday, March 2. The format
will be similar to Exams 1 and 2, with assigned seating.
We will have a review for Exam 3 on Thursday, March 1.
Bring questions and requests for more on specific
topics in Chapters 9-11.
 CLUE will have a Physics 114 Midterm 3 Review on
2/29/2012 at 6:30-8:00 PM in Mary Gates Hall 234,
and they will have a Final Review on 3/8/2012 at 6:30-
8:00 PM in Mary Gates Hall 238.

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 2/25

 Lecture Schedule (Part 3)
Physics 114A - Introduction to Mechanics - Winter-2012
Lecture: Professor John G. Cramer
Textbook: Physics, Vol. 1 (UW Edition), James S. Walker
Week Date L# Lecture Topic Pages Slides Reading HW Due Lab
13-Feb-12 20 Momentum & Impulse 8 23 9-1 to 9-3
14-Feb-12 21 Momentum Conservation 11 24 9-4 to 9-5
7 16-Feb-12 22 Collisions & CM 10 23 9-6 to 9-7 HW6
Mom. & Collisions

17-Feb-12 23 Rotational Kinematics 13 30 10-1 to 10-3 We are here.

20-Feb-12 H3 President's Day Holiday
21-Feb-12 24 Rotational Inertia 5 24 10-4 to 10-5 Angular Kinematics
8 23-Feb-12 25 Energy Conservation II 5 25 10-6 HW7 Torque

24-Feb-12 26 Torque & Equilibrium 18 26 11-1 to 11-4

27-Feb-12 27 Angular Momentum 10 25 11-5 to 11-7
28-Feb-12 28 Rotational Dynamics 3 26 11-8 to 11-9 Rotational Motion,
9 1-Mar-12 R3 Review & Extension - 49 - HW8 Mom. of Inertia

2-Mar-12 E3 EXAM 3 - Chapters 9-11

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 3/26

Dynamic Applications of Torque
When dealing with systems that have both
rotating parts and translating parts, we must be
careful to account for all forces and torques
correctly and to keep the signs straight.

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 4/25

 Angular Momentum

For a particle of mass m

moving in a circle of radius r:

I  mr 2
 v/r

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 5/25

 Angular Momentum
For more general motion,

L  r p  r mv
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 6/25
 Example: Angular Momentum
(a) What is the angular momentum of a 0.13 kg Frisbee, considered
to be a uniform disk of radius 7.5 cm, spinning with  = 11.5 rad/s?
(b) What is the angular momentum of a 95 kg person running with a
speed of 5.1 m/s around a circular track of radius 25 m?

I frisbee  12 mr 2  12 (0.13 kg)(0.075 m) 2  3.66 104 kg m 2

L frisbee  I frisbee  (3.66  104 kg m 2 )(11.5 rad/s)  4.2 10 3 kg m 2 /s

Lrunner  rmv  (25.0 m)(95 kg)(5.1 m/s)  12, 000 kg m 2 /s

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 7/25

 Clicker Question 1

An object is moving in a straight line

with momentum p. It has non-zero angular
momentum:
(a) always; (b) sometimes; (c) never.
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 8/25
 Clicker Question 1
The value of the
angular momentum L
depends on what we
take to be the center
of rotation.

An object is moving in a straight line

with momentum p. It has non-zero angular
momentum:
(a) always; (b) sometimes; (c) never.
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 9/25
Sign of Angular Momentum
L>0
L>0

The angular momentum L is take to be positive if the

angular position is increasing with time, i.e., if the motion
associated with L is a counterclockwise rotation.

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 10/25

 Example: Jumping On
Running with a speed of 4.10 m/s, a
21.2 kg child heads toward the rim of a
merry-go-round of radius 2.00 m, as
shown.
What is the child’s angular
momentum L with respect to the
center of the merry-go-round?

L  rmv sin 
 (2.00 m)(21.2 kg)(4.10 m/s) sin135
 123 kg m 2 /s

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 11/25

 Example: The Spin Angular
Momentum of the Earth
What is the angular momentum of the Earth as it
rotates on its axis? (Assume a uniform sphere.)

1 rev 1 hr 2 rad
    7.27  10-5 rad/s
24 hr 3600 s 1 rev

I  52 M e Re 2  52 (5.98 1024 kg)(6.37 106 m) 2

 9.711037 kg m 2

L  I   7.06  1033 kg m 2 /s

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 12/25

 Example: The Orbital Angular
Momentum of the Earth
What is the angular momentum of the
Earth as it orbits the Sun?

I orbit  M e rorbit 2  52 M e R e 2
 (5.98 1024 kg) (1.50 1011 m) 2  52 (6.37 106 m) 2 
 1.346 1047 kg m 2
1 orbit 1 yr 1 dy 2 rad
orb    
1 yr 365.25 dy 24  60  60 s 1 orbit
 1.991  10-7 rad/s
Note that we calculated
Lorbit  I orbitorbit  2.68  1048 kg m 2 /s Lspin  7.06 1033 kg m 2 /s

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 13/25

 Changing Angular Momentum
Looking at the rate at which angular momentum
changes,

Therefore, if  = 0, then L is constant with time.

If the net external torque on a system is zero, the

angular momentum is conserved.
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 14/25
 Example: A Windmill
In a light wind, a windmill experiences a constant torque of 255 N m.
If the windmill is initially at rest, what is its angular momentum
after 2.00 s?

L

t
L   t  (255 N m)(2.00 s)  510 kg m /s 2

Notice that you do not need to know the moment of

inertia of the windmill to do this calculation.

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 15/25

 Conservation of Angular Momentum
If the net external torque on a system is
zero, the angular momentum is conserved.
The most interesting consequences occur in
systems that are able to change shape:
Li  L f  I ii  I f  f
3.74 rad/s
 Ii 
 f    i
I 
5.33 kg m2  f 
1.60 kg m 2

(5.33 kg m 2 )
 2
(3.74 rad/s)
(1.60 kg m )
 12.5 rad/s
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 16/25
Example: Spinning the Wheel
You are sitting on a stool on a frictionless turntable
holding a bicycle wheel. Initially, neither the wheel nor the
turntable is spinning. You hold the axel vertical with one
hand and spin the wheel counterclockwise with the other
hand.
You observe that the stool and turntable begin to rotate
clockwise. Then you stop the wheel with your free hand.
What happens to the turntable rotation?

L1  L2  L3  The turntable stops.

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 17/25

Example: A Stellar Performance
A star of radius Ri = 2.3 x 108 m rotates initially with
an angular speed of i = 2.4 x 10-6 rad/s.
If the star collapses to a neutron star of radius Rf =
20.0 km, what will be its final angular speed f ?
Li  L f  I ii  I f  f
2
 Ii  2
MR  Ri 
2

f    i  5
i    i
i
I 2
MR R 
2
 f  5  f 
f
2
 (2.3 10 m) 8
6
  (2.4  10 rad/s)  320 rad/s
 (2.0 10 m) 
4

 3056 rpm
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 18/25
 Rotational Collisions
If the moment of inertia increases, the angular
speed decreases, so the angular momentum does
not change.
Angular momentum is conserved in rotational
collisions:

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 19/25

 Example: Two Interacting Disks
A 20 cm diameter 2.0 kg solid disk is rotating
at 200 rpm. A 20 cm diameter 1.0 kg circular
loop is dropped straight down on the rotating
disk. Friction causes the loop to accelerate until
it is “riding” on the disk.
What is the final angular velocity of the
combined system?

L f  I disk f  I loop f  Li  I diski

I disk
 f  i
I disk  I loop
1
M disk R 2
 i 2
 100 rpm
1
2
M disk R  M loop R
2 2

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 20/25

 Example: A Rotating Disk
Disk 1 is rotating freely and has angular
velocity i and moment of inertia I1
about its symmetry axis, as shown.
It drops onto disk 2 of moment of
inertia I2, initially at rest. Because
of kinetic friction, the two disks
eventually attain a common angular
velocity f.
(a) What is f?
(b) What is the ratio of final to initial kinetic energy?
L f  Li
 I 
2
L2
K 1
2
I 
2

2I 2I
( I1  I 2 ) f  I1i

I 1 Kf  L2   L2  Ii I1
 f  1 i  i   /    
I1  I 2 1   I 2 / I1  K i  2 I f   2Ii  I f I1  I 2
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 21/25
 Example: Mean Gene in the Mud
You and three of your friends have been bullied by
Gene, so you make a plan. A nearby park has a merry-
go-round with a 3.0 m diameter turntable that has a
130 kg m2 moment of inertia. Initially all five of you
stand near the rim while the turntable rotates at 20
rev/min. When you give the signal, all four of you
move to within 0.3 m of the center, leaving Gene at
the rim. Gene is quick and strong, so it would require an acceleration of 4.0 g to
throw him off into the mud. Assume everybody has a mass of 60 kg
Will the plan work?
L f  Li  I f  f  I ii i  (20 rev/min)(2 rad/rev) / (60 s/min)  2.09 rad/s
I i  5mR 2  I mgr  5(60 kg)(1.5 m) 2  (130 kg m 2 )  805 kg m 2

I f  mR 2  4mr 2  I mgr  (60 kg)(1.5 m) 2  4(60 kg)(0.3 m) 2  (130 kg m 2 )  287 kg m 2

 f  i I i / I f   2.09 rad/s  805 kg m 2  /  287 kg m 2   5.88 rad/s

ac   2 R  (5.88 rad/s) 2 (1.5 m)  51.9 m/s 2  5.29 g Yes!
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 22/25
 Example:
Ride the Merry-go-Round
A 25 kg child at a playground runs with an initial
speed of 2.5 m/s along a path tangent to the rim of
a merry-go-round with a radius of 2.0 m and jumps
on. The merry-go-round, which is initially at rest,
has a moment of inertia of 500 kg m 2.
Find the angular velocity of the child and merry-
go-round.

 
L f  Li  I mgr  mc R   f  R  mc vi  Rmc vi
2

Rmc vi (2.0 m)(25 kg)(2.5 m/s)

f    0.21 rad/s
I mgr  mc R 2
(500 kg m )  (25 kg)(2.0 m)
2 2

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 23/25

 Example: Wrapping the Post
A puck on a frictionless plane is given an initial
speed v0. The puck is attached to a massless string
that wraps around a vertical post.
Is angular momentum conserved?

No, energy is conserved but not angular momentum.

L2
K  I 
1
2
2
and I is diminishing, so L must also decrease.
2I

The tension T acts off the center of rotation by the radius r of the post,

 
so a torque   r  T progressively reduces the angular momentum.

February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 24/25

 End of Lecture 27
 For Tuesday, read Walker, Chapter 11.8-9
 Homework #8 is due at 11:59 PM on Thursday, March 1.
Homework #9 is due at 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 11.
 There are people who need to register their clickers.
 We will have Exam 3 on Friday, March 2. The format will be
similar to Exams 1 and 2, with assigned seating. We will
have a review for Exam 3 on Thursday, March 1. Bring
questions and requests for more on specific topics in
Chapters 9-11.
 CLUE will have a Physics 114 Midterm 3 Review on
2/29/2012 at 6:30-8:00 PM in Mary Gates Hall 234, and
they will have a Final Review on 3/8/2012 at 6:30-8:00 PM
in Mary Gates Hall 238.
February 27, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 27 25/25