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I know this is probably a dumb question, but it's a long time since I did basic mechanics.
Consider a simple pendulum, consisting of a weight suspended a hook on the ceiling by a string. Say the pendulum is moving in a plane, so that its motion can be described by one coordinate theta as a function of time (theta(t)).
The angular momentum of the pendulum changes with time, along a sinusoidal curve. How is conservation of angular momentum satisfied? Is it something to do with the angular momentum of the room to whose ceiling the pendulum is fixed (and ultimately, the Earth, if the room is on solid ground on Earth),
Are the fluctuations in angular momentum of the pendulum matched by opposite fluctuations in the angular momentum of the Earth?
Consider a simple pendulum, consisting of a weight suspended a hook on the ceiling by a string. Say the pendulum is moving in a plane, so that its motion can be described by one coordinate theta as a function of time (theta(t)).
The angular momentum of the pendulum changes with time, along a sinusoidal curve. How is conservation of angular momentum satisfied? Is it something to do with the angular momentum of the room to whose ceiling the pendulum is fixed (and ultimately, the Earth, if the room is on solid ground on Earth),
Are the fluctuations in angular momentum of the pendulum matched by opposite fluctuations in the angular momentum of the Earth?