All Flashcards
Compare torque and force.
Force causes linear acceleration; torque causes angular acceleration. Torque is the rotational analog of force.
Compare moment of inertia and mass.
Mass is resistance to linear acceleration; moment of inertia is resistance to angular acceleration. Moment of inertia depends on mass distribution.
Compare angular momentum and linear momentum.
Linear momentum is mass times velocity; angular momentum is moment of inertia times angular velocity. Both are conserved in closed systems.
Compare angular velocity and linear velocity.
Angular velocity (ω) is the rate of change of angular displacement; linear velocity (v) is the rate of change of linear displacement. v = rω
Compare angular acceleration and linear acceleration.
Angular acceleration (α) is the rate of change of angular velocity; linear acceleration (a) is the rate of change of linear velocity. a = rα
Define torque.
Torque is the rotational equivalent of force, causing objects to rotate.
Define angular displacement.
The change in the angle of a rotating object, measured in radians.
Define angular velocity.
The rate of change of angular displacement, measured in radians per second.
Define angular acceleration.
The rate of change of angular velocity, measured in radians per second squared.
Define moment of inertia.
The rotational equivalent of mass, measuring an object's resistance to changes in rotational motion.
Define angular momentum.
The rotational equivalent of linear momentum, measuring an object's tendency to keep rotating.
What is the effect of a constant angular acceleration?
Allows the use of simplified rotational kinematic equations.
What happens if angular acceleration is not constant?
Calculus must be used to analyze the rotational motion.
What is the effect of applying a torque to a rigid object?
It causes angular acceleration, changing the object's rotational speed.
What happens when there is a change in angular velocity?
Angular acceleration occurs.
What happens when a wheel starts from rest and experiences a uniform angular acceleration?
Its angular velocity increases linearly with time, and it rotates through an increasing angular displacement.