Physics 114A - Mechanics

Lecture 26 (Walker: Ch. 11.1-4)

Torque & Equilibrium
February 24, 2012

John G. Cramer
Professor Emeritus, Department of Physics
B451 PAB
jcramer@uw.edu
 Announcements
 Homework Assignment #8 is due at 11:59 PM on Thursday, March 1.
Homework Assignment #9 is due at 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 11.
 We will have Exam 3 covering Walker, Chapters 9-11 one week from
today on March 3. The format will be similar to Exams 1 and 2.
There will be assigned seating with new seats, and previous seat
requests will be used.
 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.
 My office hours are 12:30-1:20 PM on Tuesdays and 2:30-3:20 PM on
Thursdays, both in the “114” area of the Physics Study Center on the
Mezzanine floor of PAB A (this building).

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 2/26

 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

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
We are here.
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

 Torque
From experience, we know that the same
force will be much more effective at rotating an
object such as a nut or a door if our hand is not
too close to the axis.
This is why we
have long-handled
wrenches, and why
the doorknobs are
not next to the
hinges.

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 4/26

 Torque
We define a quantity called torque:

The torque increases

as the force increases
and also as the distance
increases.

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 5/26

 Torque
The ability of a force to
cause a rotation or twisting
motion depends on three
factors:
1. The magnitude F of the force;
2. The distance r from the point
of application to the pivot;
3. The angle  at which the force
is applied.
We define a new quantity called
torque, denoted by the symbol  :
  rF sin 
 
where  is the angle from r to F .

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 6/26

 Torque
Only the tangential component of force causes
a torque:

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 7/26

 Torque
This leads to a more general definition of torque:

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 8/26

 Sign of Torque
If the torque causes a
counterclockwise angular
acceleration, it is positive;
if it causes a clockwise
angular acceleration, it is
negative.

CCW:   0
CW:  0
February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 9/26
 Sign of Torque

  rF sin 

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 10/26

Two Interpretations of Torque
Torque can be considered as the
distance r from the pivot to the point

of action of the force F times the
tangential force component Ft  F sin .
Thus,   r ( F sin  )  rFt .
February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26
Torque can be considered as the

force F acting at a perpendicular
distance d  r sin  (called the
moment arm) from the pivot point

to the line of action through F .
Thus,   F (r sin  )  Fd .
11/26
 Clicker Question 1
Five different forces are applied to the
same rod, which pivots around the black dot.
Which force produces the smallest torque
about the pivot?

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 12/26

 Gravitational Torque
An object fixed on a pivot (taken as the
origin) will experience gravitational forces
that will produce torques. The torque
about the pivot from the ith particle will be
i=ximig. The minus sign is because
particles to the right of the origin
(x positive) will produce clockwise (negative)
torques.
 i   xi mi g    xi mi  g

 
 grav   i     xi mi g      mi xi  g
i i  i 

m x
i
i i  Mxcm  grav   Mg xcm

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 13/26

 Example: The Gravitational
Torque on a Beam
The 4.0 m long 500 kg steel beam
is supported 1.20 m from the
right end.
What is the gravitational torque
about the support?

 grav   Mgxcm  (500 kg)(9.80 m/s 2 )(0.80m)  3920 Nm

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 14/26

 Torque & Angular Acceleration
Newton’s Second Law:

If we consider a mass m rotating around an

axis a distance r away, we can reformat
Newton’s Second Law to read:

Or equivalently,

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 15/26

 Torque & Angular Acceleration
Once again, we have analogies between linear
and angular motion:

F=ma = I 
February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 16/26
 Problem Solving Strategy
Picture: Angular acceleration for rigid objects can be found by using
free-body diagrams and Newton’s 2nd Law for rotation,
net ext = ext = I.
If net ext is constant, then the constant angular acceleration
equations apply. Time intervals and angular positions, angular
velocities, and angular accelerations can be determined using these
equations.
Solve:
1. Draw a free-body diagram with the object shown as a likeness of
the object (not as a dot).
2. Draw each force vector along the line of action of that force.
3. On the diagram, indicate the positive direction (cw or ccw) for
rotations.
Check: Make sure that the signs of your results are consistent with
your choice of positive directions of rotation.
February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 17/26
 Example: A Stationary Bike
To get some exercise without going anywhere,
you set your bike on a stand with the rear wheel
free to turn. As you pedal, the chain applies a
force of F = 18 N to the rear sprocket wheel at a
distance of rs = 7.0 cm from the rotation axis of
the wheel. Consider the wheel to be a hoop of
radius R = 35 cm and mass M = 2.4 kg.
What is the angular velocity  of the wheel
after 5.0 s?
 net F rs
 net  F rs  I  
I MR 2
  0   t  0   t
F rs (18 N)(0.070 m)
  t  2
t  2
(5.0 s)  21.4 rad/s
MR (2.4 kg)(0.35 m)
February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 18/26
 Example:
A Uniform Rod Pivoted at an End
A uniform thin rod of length L and mass M is
pivoted at one end. It is held horizontal and
released. Neglect friction and air drag.
(a) Find the angular acceleration  of the rod
immediately after its release.
(b) Find the magnitude of the force FA exerted
by the rod on the pivot at that instant.

 ext  I  grav  Mg  12 L  I  13 ML2


 grav

Mg  L   3g
1
2
1
I 3
ML2 2L
 L  3g  3
At t=0: acm cent  rcm  rcm  0   0
2 2
acm tang  rcm     4g
 2  2 L 

 ext
F  Mg  FA  Macm y  M  acm cent  acm tang   3
4
Mg FA  14 Mg
February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 19/26
 Zero Torque & Static Equilibrium
Static equilibrium occurs when an object is at
rest, neither rotating nor translating.

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 20/26

Zero Torque & Static Equilibrium
If the net torque is zero, it doesn’t matter
which axis we consider rotation to be around; we
are free to choose the one that makes our
calculations easiest.

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 21/26

Zero Torque & Static Equilibrium
When forces have both vertical and horizontal
components, in order to be in equilibrium an
object must have no net torque, and no net force
in either the x- or y-direction.

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 22/26

 Center of Mass & Balance
If an extended object is to be balanced, it
must be supported through its center of mass.

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 23/26

 Balance

An object balances when the pivot point is located directly under

(or over) the center of mass. For that situation, grav=0.

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

 Center of Mass & Balance
This fact can be used to find the center of
mass of an object – suspend it from different
axes and trace a vertical line. The center of mass
is where the lines meet.

February 24, 2012 Physics 114A - Lecture 26 25/26

 End of Lecture 26
 For Monday, read Walker, Chapter 11.5-7
 Homework Assignment #8 is due at 11:59 PM on Thursday, March 1.
Homework Assignment #9 is due at 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 11.
 We will have Exam 3 covering Walker, Chapters 9-11 one week from
today on March 3. The format will be similar to Exams 1 and 2.
There will be assigned seating with new seats, and previous seat
requests will be used.
 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.
 My office hours are 12:30-1:20 PM on Tuesdays and 2:30-3:20 PM
on Thursdays, both in the “114” area of the Physics Study Center on
the Mezzanine floor of PAB A (this building).

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