Brilliant STUDY CENTRE PHYSICS ONLINE NOTE (IIT) L

RIGID BODY DYNAMICS

Motion of Rigid body

For translational motion of a rigid body, we can assume that entire mass of the body is concentrated
at a point called centre of mass.
When a force is applied on a rigid body, it may either move as a whole is any direction, or may turn
or rotate or may undergo both motions simultaneously.
For translation motion, the force must be applied at the centre of mass of the body. If the force acts
at a point other than the cm, the resulting motion will be either rotational or both translational and
rotational.
When rigid body is in translation motion, all elements (or particles) of the body move with same
velocity. When a rigid body is in rotational motion, different elements of the body move with
different speeds but all elements move with same angular velocity. The paths of the particles are
concentric circles.
Moment of Inertia
The opposition of a particle / system of particle/ rigid body to the state of rotational is called
rotational inertia rotational inertia depends on
1) Axis of rotation
2) mass/ masses of particle which comprise the system
3) The distribution of masses of the particles of the system with respect to the axis of rotation (ie,
shape of the rotating body)
The rotational inertia of a body about an axis of rotation is called moment of inertia of that body
about that axis of rotation.
For a particle of mass ‘m’ M.I is I  mr 2
where ‘r’ is the distance of particle from the axis of rotation.
n
2
For system of particles, I   m i ri
i 1

For a rigid body or continuous mass distribution I   r 2 dm

Where ‘d’m is a small mass element located at a perpendicular distance ‘r’ from the axis of rotation
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S.I unit - kgm2
The M.I is rotational motion is analogus to mass in translation motion.
M.I of some regular bodies
M.I of a ring about the axis passing through its centre and  to its plane.

Consider a mass element dm on the ring of radius R

M.I   R 2 dm  R 2  dm  MR 2 ; I  MR 2
M. I of a thin hollow cylinder about its axis

Consider a ring of width dl at a distance l from one end of a thin hollow cylinder of mass and length
M
L. Its mass is dl
L

M MR 2 MR 2
I d R 2  d  L
L L  L

I  MR 2
M.I is same as that of ring
M.I of a thin disc about an axis passing through its centre and  to its plane

M
Consider a ring of width de at a radius ‘a’ of a disc of mass M and radius its mass is  2rdr 
R 2

R
M 2M 3 2M R 4
I  2rdr  .r K 2  r dr  R 2  4
2 

R 2 0

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MR 2
I
2
M. I of thin rod of length L and mass M about an axis passing through it mid point.

m
Consider an element of length dx at a distance x from the axis. Its mass is dx

1 1
m 2
M  x3  2
I  dx.x 2   
1
L L  3  1 2
2

ML2
I
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M.I of a uniform rectangular lamina passing through its centre and parallel to its breadth.

M
mass per unit area =
b

M
mass of strip =  bdx
b
Since each particle on the differential element is at the same distance x from the axis of rotation.

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2 M  2
M.IK, I  dmx    bdx  x
 b 

1
1 2
2
M 2 M  x3  M 2
I  x dx    
1    3  12
2 1
2

Axis in the plane lamina passing through its centre and parallel to its length.

M.I of strip about the axis xx1

M M
dI   dy.y 2  y 2 dy
b b
1 b
M 2 M  y3  2
2
M b3
 I  y dy      
1 b b  3  b b 12
2 2

Mb2
I
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Parallel Axis Theorem
The M.I of a body about any axis is equal to the sum of its moment of inertia about a parallel axis
passing through its centre of mass and the product of mass of the body and the square of the
distance between them.

a CM

IAB  Icm  Ma 2

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Perpendicular Axis Theorem

The M.I of a plane lamina about an axis perpendicular to its plane is equal to the sum of moments of
inertia of the lamina about two axes at right angles to each other in the plane of the lamina and
passing through the point where the perpendicular axis intersects the lamina.

Iz  I x  I y

Radius of gyration
If ‘I’ is the M.I of a body of mass M about an axis of rotation such that I  MK 2 , then K is called
the radius of gyration of the body about that axis of rotation radius of gyration depends.
1) Axis of rotation
2) The distribution of mass about the axis of rotation
Radius of gyration of a rigid body is independent of mass of the body.
Consider a body of mass M to be made of ‘n’ identical particles each of mass m.
 M  nm
Let r1, r2, .... rn be the distances of these particles from the axis of rotation. Then
I1  mr12 , I 2  mr22 ,...........I n  mrn2 are the M.I of these particles the axis of rotation.
The total M.I of the body about the axis of rotation is

I  mr12  mr22  ......  mrn2  m  r12  r22  ....  rn2 

I  MK 2  nmk 2

nmk 2  m  r12  r22  .....  rn2 

r12  r22  ....rn2

K
n
Torque
The rotating effect of a force about a point (axis of rotation) is called torque. It is the rotational
analogue of force in translational motion.

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Brilliant STUDY CENTRE PHYSICS ONLINE NOTE (IIT) L

Torque about the point O is

T  r sin  F

T  rF sin 
  
T  rF
If the point is on the line of action of force, the torque exerted by the force about that point will be
zero. ie, The radial component of a force cannot produce any torque. Torque is a vector and its s.I
unit is Nm.
Direction of torque can be obtained from right hand rule.
Couple
 
Two force F and F having the same magnitude parallel lines of action and opposite senses are said
to form a couple.
A couple does not exert a net force on a body but exerts a torque.
  
The moment of a couple is defined as M  r  F

Where r is the vector joining the points of application of the two forces constituting the couple.
The direction of moment of couple can be obtained from right hand rule.


magnifide of M is M = Fd
where ‘d’ is the  distance between the force vectors.
Equilibrium of rigid bodies
 
Consider a rigid body in static equilibrium under the action of several forces F1 , F2 ,.....Fn

Then  Fi  0 ( for translational equilibrium)

 T  0 ( ( for rotational equilibrium)
i


Where Ti are the torques of the forces Fi with respect to an arbitrary point.
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When a body is in rotational equilibrium but not in translational equilibrium, the net torque will be
zero only about the cm of the body and not about any other point.
Relation between torque and angular acceleration
A force acting on a particle produces linear acceleration. Similarly, a torque acting on a particle,
about an axis of rotation produces an angular acceleration  .  
    
  r  F  rFsin  (  angle between r and F )

 T  rFt  Ft  tan gential component of F  Fsin   = rmat

a t  r

 T  rm  r   mr 2

  I
Condition for sliding / toppling of a rigid body on surface
Consider a uniform rectangular block of mass m, width b and height H. Let an external F be
applied on one face of the block, at height ‘h’ from the base as shown.

In the absence of any external force in horizontal direction the normal reaction N passes through the
centre of mass of the block. When force F is applied normal reaction shifts in the direction of
applied force F.

Since right part of body is having tending to lift from surface, at the instant of tipping over about the
edge the normal reaction passes through edge. From conditions of equilibrium.

In horizontal direction f  F   x mg

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Brilliant STUDY CENTRE PHYSICS ONLINE NOTE (IIT) L

In vertical direction N = mg

Balancing torque about edge Fh  mg  b 2

mgb mgb b
h  
2F 2 k mg 2 k

This is the greater height ‘h’ at which the force ‘F’ can be applied to that the block will slide with out
tipping over.
As the point of application of force is raised higher the location of the line of action of normal
reaction N moves to the left. In the limiting case x  b 2 the normal reaction passes through the
edge.

If h  h max , F  mg neither toppling nor sliding occurs.

If h  h max , F  mg no toppling, sliding motion impending

If h  h max , F  mg no toppling, sliding occurs.

If h = hmax, F  mg , both sliding and toppling are impending

If h > hmax The body will tip over for any value of weight of the body.
Motion of black in an inclined plane
A block of length b and height h is placed at rest m a rough inclined plane of inclination  with the
horizontal.

The print of application of normal reaction is displaced through x in the downward direction. It has
to produce a clockwise torque about the c.m. that may balance the anticlockwise torque produced
by friction.
There are two tendencies of the block
1) To slide down
2) To relate (or topple) about point A

For translational equilibrium  F  0

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f  mg sin 

n  Mg cos 

For rotational equilibrium    0

Nx  f h 2

fh
Mg cos  x 
z

2Mg cos  x
f
h

If the block topples over about A, x  b 2

2Mg cos  b Mg cos  b

f 
2h h

If block does not slide down f  N

g sin     Mg cos  , tan  

 if the block slides   tan 

If the block topples before sliding f   (Mg cos )

b Mg cos  b
 mg cos  ;  
h h

if the block topples before sliding   b h

The block has a tending to slide down before toppling if   b h

The block has a tending to topple before sliding if   b h

The block slides down if   tan , where  is the angle of inclination of the incline with respect to
the horizontal.

The both topples over of   tan  and   b h

Angular Momentum
Angular momentum is associated with any particle is motion, which need not be rotational motion.
The angular momentum of a particle is measured with respect to a fixed reference point and it is
defined as
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Brilliant STUDY CENTRE PHYSICS ONLINE NOTE (IIT) L
  
L  r P

r - vector connecting the position of the particle with the reference point about which angular

momentum is measured and P is the linear momentum vector of the particle.

Angular momentum about point '  ' is L  r sin   p  rp sin 

  
L  rp

Angular momentum is zero for any point along the direction of linear momentum (or velocity)
Angular momentum is a vector quantity and its direction is determined by right hand rule.
S.I unit kgm2s–1|
Angular momentum of a rotating particle about the centre of rotation.

For a particle rotating about point ‘O’ with radius ‘r’ and angular velocity  , its velocity v is

always  to position vector r , so that   90o , and sin   1, v  r

 Angular momentum of a rotating particle is given by L  rp  mvr  m(rw)r  mr 2 

For a particle I = mr2

 L  I
Rotation between Torque and Angular momentum
For a rigid body,   I

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d d
I =  I 
dt dt

 dL
T
dt

Law of conservation of Angular momentum

If the net external torque acting in a rigid body or system of particles is zero, the total angular
momentum of the rigid body /system of particles is conserved.

dL
if   0 0
dt
ie L = a instant

ie; I  a cons tan t

Relation between angular momentum (L) and kinetic energy of rotating body.

1 2
K. E, K = I
2
L =I

 LI

1 L2 L2
K  I 
2 I 2 2I

I  M.I of the body

L  angular momentum
Angular impulse
 dL  
T  dt  dL
dt

The term dt is called angular impulse.

dL = change in angular momentum
t2 t2
  
 lt    L 2  L1
dL
t1 t1

Hence angular impulse = change in angular momentum.

Comparison of linear and rotational motion

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Linear motion Rotational motion

Linear displacement Angular displacement  
dx d
Linear velocity v  Angular velocity w 
dt dt
dv d
Linear acceleration a  Angular acceleration  
dt dt
   
Linear momentum p  mv Angular momentum L  I
Force F  ma Torque,   I
work done w   F.dd work done w   T.dv
Power P  F.V Power P  .
1 1 2
Kinetic energy K  mv 2 Kinetic energy k  Iw
2 2
Kinetic equations Kinetic equations
V  u  at   o  t
1 1
S  ut  at 2   o t  t 2
2 2
2 2 2 2
V  u  2as   0  2
a 
Sn  u   2n  1 n  o   2n  1
2 2

Rolling Motion
The motion of a rigid body undergoing rotation about an axis with the axis of rotation having a
translation motion, is called rolling motion.
Pure rolling
In this use, there is no relative motion between the contact points, ie, the contact point between the
body and surface is at relative rest.
Pure rolling motion is a combination of pure translation and pure rotation.

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A
VA= R
VA= R VA= 2R

A
C +
C
VM= R VM= 0
VM= R
B
B VB= R VB= R
VB= 0
Pure translation Pure rotation

In pure rolling motion Vcm = R 

1 2 1 2
 K of rolling , KE rolling =KEtranslation + KErelation= 2 mv  2 I 

1 1 1 1 v2
 mv 2  mk 2 2  I  mk 2   mv 2  mk 2 2
2 2 2 2 R

1
KE rolling 
2
 2
mv 2 1  k 2
R 

KE rolling  KE translation 1  k
2

r2 
Pure rolling on a ramp
A round object rolls down a ramp with out slipping. The tending for the body slide down is
prevented by the force of friction acting up the ramp.

f h
mgsin 

mg cos 
mg

Translated motion M g sin   fs  M a c m

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a cm 2 a Mk 2a cm
Rfs  I cm ; Rfs  mk cm ; fs 
R R R2

mk 2a cm Mk 2a cm
 Mg sin  
R 2
 Ma cm ; Mg sin   Ma cm 
R 2  2
; g sin   a cm 1  k R 2 
g sin 
a cm  2
1 k 2
R

Velocity at the bottom of the ramp V2 = 2as

g sin  h
V2  2 2

1  k 2 sin 
R

2gh
V 2
1 k 2
R

2gh
1  k2 2
V R
t 
taken to reach the bottom a g sin 
2
1 k 2
R

 R 
2
2h 1  k mk 2 g sin 
1 2 f
t
sin  g
friction

R 2 1  k2 2
R 
mg sin 
f 2
1 R 2
K

Mg sin 
R2 tan 
f 1  K2 tan   2
Co- efficient of friction     1 R 2
N Mg cos  1  R 2 2 K
k

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