Torque and Equilibrium

Torque is a twist
or turn that tends
to produce
rotation. * * *
Applications are
found in many
common tools
around the home
or industry where
it is necessary to
turn, tighten or
loosen devices.
 Definition of Torque
Torque
Torque isis defined
defined as
as the
the tendency
tendency to
to
produce
produce aa change
change in
in rotational
rotational motion.
motion.
Examples:
 Torque is Determined by Three Factors:
•• The
The magnitude
magnitude of
of the
the applied
applied force.
force.
•• The
The direction
direction of
of the
the applied
applied force.
force.
•• The
The location
location of
of the
the applied
applied force.
force.

Magnitude
Locationofofof
Direction force
force
Force
Each
TheThe 40-N
of the
forces force
20-Nthe
nearer
forces
produces
end ofhas
theatwice
different
wrenchthe 20 N 
2020
N
20NN
torque
torque
have asdue
greater does
to the
the
torques.  20
40NN
direction
20-N force.
of force. 20 N
20 N
 Units for Torque
Torque
Torque isis proportional
proportional to
to the
the magnitude
magnitude ofof
FF and
and to
to the
the distance
distance rr from
from the
the axis.
axis. Thus,
Thus,
aa tentative
tentative formula
formula might
might be:be:
 == Fr
Fr Sin
Sin θθ Units: Nm

 = (40 N)(0.060 m)
= 2.40 Nm, cw
6 cm
 == 2.40
2.40 Nm,
Nm, cw
cw 40 N
 Direction of Torque
Torque
Torque isis aa vector
vector quantity
quantity that
that has
has
direction
direction as as well
well as
as magnitude.
magnitude.

Turning the handle of a

screwdriver clockwise and
then counterclockwise will
advance the screw first
inward and then outward.
 Sign Convention for Torque
By convention, counterclockwise torques are
positive and clockwise torques are negative.

Positive torque: ccw

Counter-clockwise,
out of page
cw
Negative torque:
clockwise, into page
Example 1: An 80-N force acts at the end of
a 12-cm wrench as shown. Find the torque.

• Extend line of action, draw, calculate r.

rr == 12
12 cm
cm sin
sin 60
600
0
 == (80
(80 N)(0.104
N)(0.104 m)
m)
=
= 10.4
10.4 cm
cm == 8.31
8.31 N
Nmm
 Calculating Resultant Torque
•• Read,
Read, draw,
draw, and
and label
label aa rough
rough figure.
figure.
•• Draw
Draw free-body
free-body diagram
diagram showing
showing all
all forces,
forces,
distances,
distances, and
and axis
axis of
of rotation.
rotation.
•• Extend
Extend lines
lines of
of action
action for
for each
each force.
force.
•• Calculate
Calculate moment
moment arms
arms ifif necessary.
necessary.
•• Calculate
Calculate torques
torques due
due to
to EACH
EACH individual
individual force
force
affixing
affixing proper
proper sign.
sign. CCW
CCW (+)
(+) and
and CW
CW (-).
(-).
•• Resultant
Resultant torque
torque isis sum
sum of
of individual
individual torques.
torques.
 Example 2: Find resultant torque about
axis A for the arrangement shown below:

Find due
Find due to
to 30 N negative 20 N

each
each force.
force. 300
r
300
Consider
Consider 20-N20-N 6m 2m
force A 4m
force first:
first: 40 N

r = (4 m) sin 300 The torque about A is

= 2.00 m clockwise and negative.
 = Fr = (20 N)(2 m) 2020 == -40
-40 N
Nmm
= 40 N m, cw
 Example 2 (Cont.): Next we find torque
due to 30-N force about same axis A.

Find due
Find due to
to 30 N r
negative
20 N

each
each force.
force. 300 300
Consider
Consider 30-N
30-N 6m 2m
force A 4m
force next.
next. 40 N

r = (8 m) sin 300 The torque about A is

= 4.00 m clockwise and negative.
 = Fr = (30 N)(4 m) 3030 == -120
-120 N
Nmm
= 120 N m, cw
 Example 2 (Cont.): Finally, we consider
the torque due to the 40-N force.

Find due
Find due to
to 30 N positive 20 N

each
each force.
force. 300 r 300
Consider
Consider 40-N
40-N 6m 2m
force A 4m
force next:
next: 40 N

r = (2 m) sin 900 The torque about A is

= 2.00 m CCW and positive.
 = Fr = (40 N)(2 m) 4040 == +80
= 80 N m, ccw +80 N
Nmm
Example 2 (Conclusion): Find resultant
torque about axis A for the arrangement
shown below:

30 N 20 N
Resultant
Resultant torque
torque
isis the 300
the sum
sum of
of 300
individual
individual torques.
torques. 6m 2m
A 4m
40 N

R = 20 + 20 + 20 = -40 N m -120 N m + 80 N m

RR == -- 80
80 N
Nmm Clockwise
 Summary: Resultant Torque
•• Read,
Read, draw,
draw, and
and label
label aa rough
rough figure.
figure.
•• Draw
Draw free-body
free-body diagram
diagram showing
showing all
all forces,
forces,
distances,
distances, and
and axis
axis of
of rotation.
rotation.
•• Extend
Extend lines
lines of
of action
action for
for each
each force.
force.
•• Calculate
Calculate moment
moment arms
arms ifif necessary.
necessary.
•• Calculate
Calculate torques
torques due
due to
to EACH
EACH individual
individual force
force
affixing
affixing proper
proper sign.
sign. CCW
CCW (+)
(+) and
and CW
CW (-).
(-).
•• Resultant
Resultant torque
torque isis sum
sum of
of individual
individual torques.
torques.
Newtons 2nd law and rotation

•• Define
Define and
and calculate
calculate the
the moment
moment of
of inertia
inertia for
for
simple
simple systems.
systems.
•• Define
Define and
and apply
apply the
the concepts
concepts of
of Newton’s
Newton’s
second
second law.
law.
 Inertia of Rotation
Consider Newton’s second law for the inertia of
rotation to be patterned after the law for translation.

F = 20 N Linear Inertia, m
a = 4 m/s2 20 N
m = 4 m/s2 = 5 kg

F = 20 N Rotational Inertia, I
R = 0.5 m  (20 N)(0.5 m)
=2 I = = = 2.5 kg m2
4 m/s2
rad/s2
Force does for translation what torque does for rotation:
 Rotational Inertia
Rotational Inertia is v = R
how difficult it is to m
m4
spin an object. It  m1 m3
depends on the mass m2
of the object and how axis
far away the object if Object rotating at constant 
from the axis of
rotation (pivot point). Rotational Inertia Defined:
II == mR
mR 22
Common Rotational Inertias
L L

I 1
3
2
mL I 1
12 mL2

R R R

I = mR 2
I = ½mR 2
I 2
5 mR 2

Hoop Disk or cylinder Solid sphere

Example 1: A circular hoop and a disk
each have a mass of 3 kg and a radius
of 20 cm. Compare their rotational
inertias.
R
I  mR  (3 kg)(0.2 m)
2 2

I = 0.120 kg m2 I = mR2
Hoop

R I  mR  (3 kg)(0.2 m)
1 2 1 2
2 2

I = ½mR2 I = 0.0600 kg m2
Disk
 Newton 2nd Law
For many problems involving rotation, there is an
analogy to be drawn from linear motion.
m 
  50 rad/s
x I R 

f
4 kg
 = 40 N m
A resultant force F A resultant torque
produces negative produces angular
acceleration a for acceleration  of disk
a mass m. with rotational inertia I.

FF  ma
ma   II
Newton’s 2nd Law for Rotation
How many
F 50 rad/s
revolutions required 
to stop? R R = 0.20 m
= I 4 kg F = 40 N

FR = (½mR2) 0
2f - o2
2

2F 2(40N)  02 (50 rad/s) 2

   
mR (4 kg)(0.2 m) 2 2(100 rad/s 2 )

= 100rad/s2  = 12.5 rad = 1.99 rev

Summary – Rotational Analogies
Quantity Linear Rotational
Displacement Displacement x Radians 
Inertia Mass (kg) I (kgm2)
Force Newtons N Torque N·m
Velocity v “ m/s ”  Rad/s

Acceleration a “ m/s2 ”  Rad/s2

CONCLUSION: Chapter 5A
Torque