Is energy always conserved in a co-rotating frame?

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of energy conservation in a co-rotating/accelerating frame. It is stated that in order to check for energy conservation, the Lagrangian of the system must be calculated in terms of the generalized coordinates. If the Lagrangian is not explicitly time-dependent, the associated Hamiltonian is conserved and can be considered the energy of the system. However, for systems with time dependence in the Lagrangian, finding energy integrals depends on the specific details of the rotation/acceleration in question.
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phantomvommand
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Is energy always conserved in a co-rotating/accelerating frame?
 
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This is a bit too unspecific. How is your frame rotating? The way to check "energy conservation" is to calculate the Lagrangian of the system in terms of the generalized coordinates parametrizing the in this case non-inertial frame. If the Lagrangian is not explicitly time-dependent then the associated Hamiltonian is conserved and you could with some right of analogy call the Hamiltonian the energy of the system.
 
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  • #3
As @vanhees71 said, there is insufficient detail to answer the question. You would have to describe accurately the rotation/acceleration in question. You could do that either with a coordinate transform between an inertial frame and yours, or with the metric or Lagrangian written directly in your frame's coordinates.
 
  • #4
As I think I wrote in one of your previous threads, there is a simple form of energy conservation that applies to uniformly rotating, non-translationally-accelerating frames, viz: ##\dfrac{d}{dt} \left( T - \frac{1}{2}I \Omega^2 \right) - \displaystyle{\sum_a} \mathbf{F}_a \cdot \mathbf{v}_a = 0##. If all of the ##\mathbf{F}_a## are conservative then ##\displaystyle{\sum_a} \mathbf{F}_a \cdot \mathbf{v}_a## is a total time derivative and you have a conserved energy.

For other systems, whether or not you can find energy integrals depends on whether there is time dependence in the lagrangian i.e. write ##H = \dot{q}^i \dfrac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{q}^i} - L## then if ##\partial L/\partial t=0## you have$$\dfrac{dH}{dt} = \dot{q}^i \dfrac{d}{dt} \dfrac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{q}^i} + \dfrac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{q}^i} \ddot{q}^i - \dfrac{\partial L}{\partial q^i} \dot{q}^i - \dfrac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{q}^i} \ddot{q}^i$$which equals zero.
 
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FAQ: Is energy always conserved in a co-rotating frame?

Is energy always conserved in a co-rotating frame?

In general, energy is always conserved in a co-rotating frame. This means that the total energy of a system remains constant, even as the objects within the system are moving and interacting with each other.

What is a co-rotating frame?

A co-rotating frame is a reference frame that rotates at the same rate as a given system. This means that objects within the system appear to be stationary in the co-rotating frame, while objects outside of the system appear to be moving.

How does energy conservation work in a co-rotating frame?

In a co-rotating frame, the laws of energy conservation still hold true. This means that the total energy of the system, including kinetic and potential energy, remains constant over time.

Are there any exceptions to energy conservation in a co-rotating frame?

There are some situations where energy may not be conserved in a co-rotating frame. For example, if there are external forces acting on the system, such as friction or air resistance, then the total energy of the system may change over time.

How is energy conservation related to the principle of inertia?

The principle of inertia states that an object will remain in its state of motion unless acted upon by an external force. In a co-rotating frame, this means that the objects within the system will continue to move at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force, thus conserving their energy.

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