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Chapter 10

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

10. Dynamics of Rotational Motion

Outline
1. Angular Velocity & Acceleration Vectors
2. Torque & the Vector Cross Product
3. Rolling Motion and Energy Conservation
4. Angular Momentum
5. Conservation of Angular Momentum
6. Gyroscopes & Precession

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Importance of rotation:
• Earth’s rotational axis  seasons.
• Angular momentum of protons in living tissues  MRI
• Rotating air  tornadoes.
• Rotating wheel  stabilizes bicycle.

Learning Outcomes
In this chapter, you’ll learn…
• what is meant by the torque produced by a force.
• how the net torque on an object affects the object’s
rotational motion.
• how to analyze the motion of an object that both rotates
and moves as a whole through space.
• how to solve problems that involve work and power for
rotating objects.
• how the angular momentum of an object can remain
constant even if the object changes shape.
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Introduction

• These jugglers toss the pins so that they rotate in midair.

• What does it take to start a stationary object rotating or to bring a
spinning object to a halt?
• We’ll introduce some new concepts, such as torque and angular
momentum, to deepen our understanding of rotational motion.

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Torque
• The line of action of a force is the line
along which the force vector lies.

• The lever arm for a force is the

perpendicular distance from O to the line
of action of the force.

• The torque of a force with respect to O is

the product of the force and its lever arm.

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Torque & the Vector Cross Product

  
τ  r F

 
τr
 
τF
  
τ  (r , F) plane
    
τ  r  F  r  F ˆ  rF sin ˆ

Torque & the Vector Cross Product

  
τ  r F

    
τ  r  F  r  F ˆ  rF sin ˆ
 
τr
 
τF
  
τ  (r , F) plane

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Newton’s Second Law for Rotational Motion of Rigid Body

  
τ  r F

Copyright © 2020 Pearson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Example 10.1. Unwinding Cable

We wrap a light, nonstretching cable around a solid cylinder with mass M and radius R. The
cylinder rotates with negligible friction about a stationary horizontal axis. We tie the free end of
the cable to a block of mass m and release the block from rest at a distance h above the floor. As
the block falls, the cable unwinds without stretching or slipping.
Find the acceleration of the falling block and the tension in the cable as the block strikes the floor

(1) For the block, Newton’s second law gives

F y  mg  ( T )  ma y  mR z

(2) For the cylinder, the only torque about

its axis is that due to the cable tension T.

1
 z  RT  I cm z 
2
MR 2 z

1 g
mg  Ma y  ma y  a y 
2 1  M / 2m
mg
T  mg  ma y  T 
1  2m / M

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Example 10.2. 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 a 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 2  rcm  0   0
2
acm tang  rcm      4g
 2   2L 

F ext  Mg  FA  Macm y  M  acm cent  acm tang   34 Mg FA  14 Mg

Example 10.3. Pulley and Block

A 2.54-kg block is attached to a disk-shaped pulley of radius 0.108 m and
mass 0.816 kg.
(a) If the block is allowed to fall, what is its linear acceleration?
(b) What is the angular acceleration of the pulley?
(c) How far does the block drop in 1.80 s?

I cm  12 MR 2 ;   RT

 2T
    T  1
2
MR  1
2
Ma
I cm MR

mg  T  ma; T  m( g  a ) 
1
2
Ma  m ( g  a )

g
a  (9.81 m/s2 ) / [1  (0.816 kg) / 2(2.54 kg)]
1  M / 2m
 8.45 m/s2 1 2
h  2 at  2 (8.45 m/s 2 )(1.80 s) 2  13.7 m
1

  a / R  78.3 radians/s 2

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Rolling Without Slipping

• The motion of a rolling wheel is the sum of the translational motion of
the center of mass plus the rotational motion of the wheel around the
center of mass.
• The condition for rolling without slipping is
v cm  R.

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The parallel-axis theorem and nonuniform rod

• There is a simple relationship, called the parallel-axis theorem, between the
moment of inertia of a body about an axis through its center of mass and the
moment of inertia about any other axis parallel to the original axis.
 ( x )   1   x 
 (0)   ,  ( L )  2
2   (1   L)    1/ L

L /2 x
Icm   r 2dm   x 2  (1  ) dx
 L /2 L
M  x 3 x 4  L /2
    |L /2
L  3 4L 
M  L3 L4  M  L3 L4 
      
L  24 96L  L  24 96L 
M  L3  ML2
2  
L  24  12

ML2
IP  Icm  Md 2   Md 2
12
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Rolling Motion of Solid Objects

v  r vcm  R

acm  R s  R

K  12 mvcm
2
 12 I cm  2

Combined Translation and Rotation: Dynamics

• The acceleration of the center of mass of a rigid body is:

• The rotational motion about the center of mass is described by the

rotational analog of Newton’s second law:

• This is true as long as the axis through the center of mass is an axis of
symmetry, and the axis does not change direction.

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Example 10.4. Rolling Disk

A 1.20 kg disk with a radius 0f 10.0 cm rolls without slipping. The linear speed of
the disk is v = 1.41 m/s.
(a) Find the translational kinetic energy.
(b) Find the rotational kinetic energy.
(c) Find the total kinetic energy.

K tr  12 mv 2  12 (1.20 kg)(1.41 m/s) 2  1.19 J

K rt  12 I  2  12 ( 12 mr 2 )(v / r ) 2  14 (1.20 kg)(1.41 m/s)2  0.595 J
K roll  K tr  K rt  (1.19 J)  (0.595 J)  1.79 J

Example 10.5. A Rolling Tire

A car with tires of radius 32 cm drives on a
highway at a speed of 55 mph.
(a) What is the angular speed w of the tires?
(b) What is the linear speed vtop of the top to the tires?

v (55 mph)(0.447 m/s/mph)

   77 rad/s
r (0.320 m)

(77 rad/s) / (2 rad/rev)  12.25 rev/s

vtop  2v  110 mph

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Example 10.6. Unwinding Cable

We wrap a light, nonstretching cable around a solid cylinder with mass M and radius
R. The cylinder rotates with negligible friction about a stationary horizontal axis. We
tie the free end of the cable to a block of mass m and release the block from rest at a
distance h above the floor. As the block falls, the cable unwinds without stretching or
slipping.
Find the speed of the falling block and the angular speed of the cylinder as the block
strikes the floor.
We use the expressions for kinetic and
potential energies a initial and final states
to write conservation of energy as
1 2 1
0  mgh  mv  I cm 2
2 2
1 1 1 v 1 M  2
0  mgh  mv 2  ( MR 2 )( ) 2   m  v
2 2 2 R 2 2 
2 gh 4mgh
 v 
1  M / 2m 2m  M

The final angular speed of the cylinder is

v 4 mgh
 
R MR 2  2mR 2

Example 10.7 Spinning Wheel

A block of mass m is attached to a string that is

wrapped around the circumference of a wheel of
radius R and moment of inertia I, initially rotating
with angular velocity w that causes the block to rise
with speed v . The wheel rotates freely about its
axis and the string does not slip.
To what height h does the block rise?

Ei  E f E f  mgh
Ei  12 mv 2  12 I  2  12 mv 2  12 I (v / R) 2  12 mv 2 (1  I / mR 2 )
 v2   I 
h 1  2 
 2 g   mR 

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Example 10.8. Into the Well

A solid cylinder of mass M & radius R is mounted on a frictionless horizontal axle over a well.
A rope of negligible mass is wrapped around the cylinder & supports a bucket of mass m.
Find the bucket’s acceleration as it falls into the well.

Let downward direction be positive.

Bucket: Fnet  mg  T  m a

a a
Cylinder:  T R  I   I  T I
R R2

 a
mg  I ma
R2
g g
a 
I M
1 1
mR 2 2m

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING ?

Two masses m is connected by a string that passes over a frictionless pulley of mass M.
One mass rests on a frictionless table; the other vertically.
Is the magnitude of the tension force in the vertical section of the string
(a) greater than, (b) equal to, or (c) less than
in the horizontal? Explain.

(a):
There must be a net torque to increase the
pulley’s clockwise angular velocity.

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Example 10.9. Balancing a Tire

An automobile wheel with tire has rotational inertia 2.7 kg m2.

What constant torque does a tire-balancing machine need to apply in order to
spin this tire up from rest to 700 rpm in 25 revolutions?

1
W     I  2f
2
2

I 2  2.7 kg m   700 rpm  2 rad / rev   601 min / s 
2

 f
    46 N m
2 2  25 rev  2 rad / rev 

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING?

A solid sphere and a hollow sphere of the same mass and radius roll forward
without slipping at the same speed.
How do their kinetic energies compare?

(a) Ksolid > Khollow

(b) Ksolid  Khollow
(c) Ksolid < Khollow
(d) Not enough information to tell

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Rolling friction
• We can ignore rolling friction if both the rolling body and the
surface over which it rolls are perfectly rigid (Fig. a)
• If the surface or the rolling body deforms, mechanical energy can
be lost, slowing the motion (Fig. b).

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Example 10.10. Rolling Sphere

A solid sphere with radius r=0.10 m and mass
m=0.50 kg rolls down an inclined plane that makes
an angle =30o with the horizontal.
What is the angular acceleration α of the sphere?
 
 | r  Fgx | rmg sin(30)

I s  I cm  m r 2
2
 m r 2  m r 2  75 m r 2
5
s m g r sin(30) 5 g sin(30)
  7

Is 5
mr2 7r
5(9.81 m/s 2 ) sin(30)
  35.0 rad/s 2
7(0.10 m)

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Example 10.11. Rolling Down an Incline

Ki  U i  K f  U f

K  12 mv 2 (1  I / mr 2 )

U  mgh

mgh  12 mv 2 (1  I / mr 2 )

v  2 gh / (1  I / mr 2 )

Example 10.11. Rolling Down an Incline

Ki  U i  K f  U f

K  12 mv 2 (1  I / mr 2 )

U  mgh

Hollow Cylinder : I  mr 2 ; v  gh
mgh  12 mv 2 (1  I / mr 2 )
Solid Cylinder: I  12 mr 2 ; v  4
3
gh

v  2 gh / (1  I / mr 2 ) Hollow Sphere: I  23 mr 2 ; v  6
5
gh

Solid Sphere: I  52 mr 2 ; v  10
7
gh

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Example 10.12. The Great Downhill Race

A sphere, a cylinder, and a hoop, all of mass
M and radius R, are released from rest and
roll down a ramp of height h and slope ϴ.
They are joined by a particle of mass M that
slides down the ramp without friction.

Who wins the race? Who is the big loser?

Example 10.12., continued

1
2
I cm 2  12 Mvcm 2  Mgh

  vcm / R I cm  cMR 2
(c is a constant that depends on the object.)

Mgh  12 (cMR 2 )(vcm / R ) 2  12 Mvcm 2

 12 M (1  c)vcm 2
2 gh
vcm 
1 c
c=0 (particle); c=2/5 (solid sphere);
c=1/2 (solid cylinder); c=1(circular hoop)

Therefore, vparticle > vsphere > vcylinder > vhoop

and aparticle > asphere > acylinder > ahoop

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Example 10.13. Rolling Downhill

A solid ball of mass M and radius R starts from rest & rolls down a hill.
Its center of mass drops a total distance h.
Find the ball’s speed at the bottom of the hill.

Initially:E0  K trans 0  K rot 0  U 0  M g h

Finally: E  Ktrans  K rot  U

1 1
 M v2  I  2
2 2
2
1 12  v 
 M v2   M R2     7 M v2
2 25 R 10

10
E  E0  v gh < 2g h
7
sliding ball
Note: v is independent of M & R

Example 10.14: A Bowling Ball

A bowling ball that has an 11 cm radius and a 7.2
kg mass is rolling without slipping at 2.0 m/s on a
horizontal ball return. It continues to roll without
slipping up a hill to a height h before momentarily
coming to rest and then rolling back down the hill.
Model the bowling ball as a uniform sphere
and calculate h.

Wext  Emech  Etherm  0  Emech  0

U f  K f  U i  Ki  Mgh  0  0  12 Mvcm i  2 I cmi

2 1 2

2
Mgh  12 Mvcm
2
i  2
1
 2
5
MR 2  vR
cm i
2
 107 Mvcm
2
i

2
7vcm 7(2.0 m/s) 2
h i
  0.29 m
10 g 10(9.8 m/s 2 )

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Work in rotational motion

• A tangential force applied to a rotating body does work on it.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem in Rotational Motion


The force F does work dW  Ft rd   d .

Fr does zero work since it is at right angles to the motion.

2 2
W    d   I d
1 1

2 d 2 d 2 1 1
 I d   Id  K rot
dt 1
 I  d  I  2f  I i2
1 dt 1 2 2

Work-energy theorem for rotations: W  K rot

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Work and power in rotational motion

• The total work done on a body by the torque is equal to the change in rotational kinetic
energy of the body, and the power due to a torque is:

• When a helicopter’s main rotor is

spinning at a constant rate, positive
work is done on the rotor by the engine
and negative work is done on it by air
resistance.
• Hence the net work being done is zero
and the kinetic energy remains constant.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Power in Rotational Motion

Power has been defined as the rate at which work is done
by a force and, in the case of rotational motion, by a torque.

A torque  produces work dW   d as it rotates an object

by an angle d .

dW d d
P   d      (Compare with P  Fv )
dt dt dt

Below we summarize the results of the work-rotational kinetic energy theorem:

f

W    d W    f  i  For constant torque

i

1 2 1 2
W  KE  I  f  I i Work-Rotational Kinetic Energy Theorem
2 2

P  

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Angular Momentum

Linear momentum: pmv

Angular momentum L  rp

of a particle:  m rv
particle

rigid body with axis of rotation

along principal axis

LIω
 I ω

general case, I a tensor.

 L &  can have different directions.

Angular Momentum (1 of 3)
• To find the total angular momentum
of a rigid body rotating with angular
speed ω, first consider a thin slice of
the body.
• Each particle in the slice with mass mi
has angular momentum:

Li  mi ri 2
Total angular momentum of the
rigid body is

 
L   Li    mi ri 2    I 
 

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

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Angular Momentum (2 of 3)
• For a rigid body rotating around an axis of symmetry, the
angular momentum is:

• For any system of particles, the rate of change of the total

angular momentum equals the sum of the torques of all forces
acting on all the particles:

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Angular Momentum (3 of 3)
• The angular momentum of a rigid body rotating about
a symmetry axis is parallel to the angular velocity and
is given by L  I.

L  I
.

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Example 10.15. Single Particle

A particle of mass m moves CCW at speed v around a circle of radius r in the x-y plane.
Find its angular momentum about the center of the circle,
express the answer in terms of its angular velocity.

L  mrv

 m r v kˆ

 m r 2  kˆ

 m r2 ω

Iω I  m r2

Example 10.16. Angular momentum for particles

Two objects are moving as shown in the figure . What is their total angular
momentum about point O?

      
Lnet  L1  L2  r1  p1  r2  p2 m2

Lnet  r1mv1 sin 1  r2 mv2 sin  2

 r1mv1  r2 mv2
 2.8  3.1 3.6  1.5  6.5  2.2
 31.25  21.45  9.8 kgm 2 / s
m1

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Angular Momentum &Torque

System of particles: L   Li   ri  pi
i i

dL d Li  dr dp 
     i  pi  ri  i 
dt i dt i  d t dt 

d pi d ri
  ri   pi  vi  m vi  0
i dt dt

  ri  Fi   τi
i
i

dL rotational analog
 τ
dt of Newton’s 2nd law.

Conservation of Angular Momentum

• When the net external torque acting on a system is zero, the total
angular momentum of the system is constant (conserved).

Li  L f  I ii  I f  f

 Ii 
f    i
I
 f 

Ki  12 I ii 2
2
I  2
K f  I ff
1 2
 If  i
1
  i
2 2 I
 f 

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Example 10.17.
If the net external torque on a system is zero, the angular momentum is
conserved.

Li  L f

3.74 rad/s  I ii  I f  f

 Ii 
f    i

5.33 kg m2 1.60 kg m2  If 

(5.33 kg m 2 )
f  (3.74 rad/s)
(1.60 kg m 2 )
 12.5 rad/s

Example 10.18. 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?
Solution
Angular momentum is conserved in rotational collisions:

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 2  M loop R 2

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Example 10.19. A Rotating Disk

Disk 1 is rotating freely and has angular velocity wi 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 wf.
(a) What is wf?
(b) What is the ratio of final to initial kinetic
energy?

L f  Li
 I 
2
L2
K  12 I  2  
2I 2I
( I1  I 2 ) f  I1i

I1 1 Kf  L2   L2  I i I1
f  i  i   /   
I1  I 2 1   I 2 / I1  Ki  2 I f   i2 I I f I1  I2

Example 10.20. A puck of mass m = 0.5 kg is attached to a taut cord passing

through a small hole in a frictionless, horizontal surface. The puck is initially
orbiting with speed vi = 2 m/s in a circle of radius ri = 0.2 m. The cord is then slowly
pulled from below, decreasing the radius of the circle to r = 0.1 m..

• What is the puck’s speed at the smaller radius?

• Find the tension in the cord at the smaller radius

 
Li  Lf
    
L  r  p  r  (mv)
Li  mri vi sin 90  mri vi Lf  mrf vf sin 90  mrf v f

ri 0.2 v f2 42
vf  vi  2  4m/s T  ma c  m  0.5  80 N
rf 0.1 rf 0.1

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Example 21. A door 1.00 m wide, of mass 15 kg, can rotate freely about a vertical axis
through its hinges. A bullet with a mass of 10 g and a
speed of 400 m/s strikes the center of the door, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the
door, and embeds itself there.
Find the door’s angular speed. Is kinetic energy conserved?

The initial angular momentum of the bullet is

L  mvl  (0.01kg )(400m / s)(0.5m)  2.0kg .m / s 2

The final angular momentum is

 Md 2 
L  Iv  ( I door  I bullet )v    ml 2  v
 3 
The conservation of angular
momentum requires that
mlv 2.0kg .m 2 / s
L  mvl  I       0.40rad / s
I (5.0  0.0025)kg.m 2
1 2 1
Ki  mv  (0.01kg )(400m / s ) 2  800 J
Initial and final kinetic 2 2
energies are 1 2 1
K f  I   (5.0025)kg.m 2 (0.40rad / s) 2  0.40 J
2 2

Example 10.22.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 m2.

Find the angular velocity of the child and

merry-go-round.

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

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

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

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Example 10.17.
Masses are connected by a light cord 
a
Find the linear acceleration a.
• Use angular momentum approach
• No friction between m2 and table
• Treat block, pulley and sphere as a non- isolated
system rotating about pulley axis. As sphere falls,

pulley rotates, block slides a
• Constraints:
v  ωR for pulley α  d  / dt
a  αR  dv/dt

•Net external torque on system:  net  m1gR about center of wheel

• Angular momentum of Lsys  m1vR  m2vR  Iω  m1vR  m2vR  MR 2ω

system: (not constant)

dLsys m1 g
 m1aR  m 2aR  MR 2α a 
dt M  m1  m2
 (m1R  m 2 R  MR)a  τ net  m1gR

Example 10.24.Pulling Through a Hole

A particle of mass m moves with speed v0 in a circle of
radius r0 on a frictionless tabletop. The particle is
attached to a massless string that passes through a hole in
the table as shown. The string is pulled slowly
downward until the particle is a distance rf from the hole
and continues to rotate in a circle of that radius.
(a) Find the final velocity vf.
(b) Find the tension T in the string when
the particle moves in a circle of radius r in
terms of the angular momentum L.
(c) Are energy and/or angular momentum
conserved when the string is pulled?

L f  L0  mv f rf  mv0 r0  v f  v0 r0 / rf
2
mv 2 m  L  L2 Angular momentum
T     3
r r  mr  mr is conserved, but
energy is not.

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Example 10.26.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 m2.

Find the angular velocity of the child and

merry-go-round.

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

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

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

Example 10.27. A Stellar Performance

A star of radius Ri = 2.3 x 108 m rotates initially with an angular speed

of wi = 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 wf ?

Li  L f  I ii  I f  f
2
 Ii  2
MRi2 R 
f    i  25 i   i  i
 If 2
MR f  Rf 
  5  

2
 (2.3  108 m)  6
  (2.4  10 rad/s)  320 rad/s
 (2.0  10 4
m) 
 3056 rpm

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Example 10.28. Pulsars

A star rotates once every 45 days.
It then undergoes supernova explosion, hurling most of its mass into space.
The inner core of the star, whose radius is initially 20 Mm,
collapses into a neutron star only 6 km in radius.
The rotating neutron star emits regular pulses of radio waves, making it a pulsar.
Calculate the pulse rate ( = rotation rate ).
Assume core to be a uniform sphere & no external torque.

2
Before collapse: m r02 0
L0 
5
2
After collapse: L  m r2 
5
 20 103 km   1 rev / day 
2
r02
L  L0    
r2
0  
 6 km   45
2


 2.5 105 rev / day  3 rev / s

Conceptual Example 10.2. Playground

A merry-go-round is rotating freely when a boy runs straight toward the center & leaps on.
Later, a girl runs tangentially in the same direction as the merry-go-round also leaps on.
Does the merry-go-round’s speed increase, decrease, or stays the same in each case?

Boy
Girl

Lb = 0   L = 0
 L = Lg
I = I m + Ib
  I = I m + Ig
?

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Making the Connection

A merry-go-round of radius R = 1.3 m has rotational inertia I = 240 kg m2
& is rotating freely at 1 = 11 rpm.
A boy of mass mb = 28 kg runs straight toward the center at vb = 2.5 m/s & leaps on.
At the same time, a girl of mass mg = 32 kg, running tangentially at speed vg = 3.7 m/s
in the same direction as the merry-go-round also leaps on.
Find the new angular speed 2 once both children are seated on the rim.

Before : L0  I 1  mg R vg

After : L  I 2  mb R 2 2  mg R 2 2

I 1  mg R vg
L  L0  2 
I   mb  mg  R 2

 240 kg m  11 rpm    32 kg 1.3 m 3.7 m / s   21 rev / rad   60 s / min 
2

2   12 rpm
 240 kg m    28 kg  32 kg 1.3 m 
2 2

10.6. Conservation of Angular Momentum

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Example 10.17. Jumping on a merry-go-round

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

Example 10.18. Spin Angular Momentum of 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

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Example 10.19. Orbital Angular Momentum of Earth

What is the angular momentum of the Earth
as it orbits the Sun?

I orbit  M e rorbit 2  25 M e R e 2
 (5.98 1024 kg)  (1.50  1011 m) 2  52 (6.37  106 m) 2 
 1.346  10 47 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  10 kg m /s 48 2
Lspin  7.06 1033 kg m 2 /s

GOT IT? 11.2.

If you step on a non-rotating table holding a non-rotating wheel.

(a)if you spin the wheel CCW as viewed from above, which way do you rotate?
(b)If you then turn the wheel upside down, will your rotation rate increase, decrease, or
remain the same?
What about your direction of rotation?

(a) CW to keep L = 0.
(b) Same, CCW.

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10.7. Gyroscopes & Precession

Gyroscope: spinning object whose rotational axis is fixed in space.

External torque required to change axis of rotation

 Higher spin rate  larger L  harder to change orientation

Usage:
• Navigation
• Missile & submarine guidance.
• Cruise ships stabilization.
• Space-based telescope like Hubble.

Gyroscopes and precession

• For a gyroscope, the axis of rotation changes direction.
• The motion of this axis is called precession.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

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Gyroscopes and precession

• If a flywheel is
initially not
spinning, its
initial angular
momentum is
zero.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Gyroscopes and precession

• In each
successive time
interval dt, the
torque produces
a change in the
angular
momentum in the
same direction as
the torque, and
the flywheel axis
falls.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

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