Rotational Motion and torque problem

In summary, the torque of the weight of any body about any vertical axis is 0, but this is not always true unless the axis passes through the center of mass. When a sphere rolls on a horizontal surface, there is at least one point on the sphere that has non-zero vertical velocity, except for the points in contact with the ground and the highest point on the surface. In the case of several forces acting on a particle, the torque of the resultant force is valid, even if the forces are acting on different particles of a body and their lines of action intersect at a common point. In pure rolling, the angular velocity is independent of the distance from the axis of rotation because the angle subtended by the points on the sphere does
  • #1
Alche
21
0
1)The torque of the weight of anybody about any vertical axis is 0. Is it always true?

2)A sphere rolls on a horizontal surface. Is there any point of the sphere which has a vertical velocity?

3) When several forces acts on a particle we take the torque of the resultant force. Is this result valid for the force acting on different particles of a body in such a way that their lines of action intersect at a common point ?

4)In pure rolling angular velocity is independent of the distance r from the axis of rotation. Why ?
 
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  • #2
1. Not unless the axis passes through the centre of mass.
2.yes
3.yes
4.The angle subtended doesn't depend on r & hence neither does the angular velocity.
 
  • #3
Eynstone said:
1. Not unless the axis passes through the centre of mass.
2.yes
3.yes
4.The angle subtended doesn't depend on r & hence neither does the angular velocity.

Can you tell which point has vertical velocity for second question
 
  • #4
Alche said:
2)A sphere rolls on a horizontal surface. Is there any point of the sphere which has a vertical velocity?

Suppose the sphere is rolling to the left. Draw a vertical line through the centre. Every point on the sphere to the right of the line is moving upward, every point to the left is moving downward. The only points on the surface that have zero vertical velocity are the point in contact with the ground, and the point directly opposite (the highest point on the surface). Edit: My bad. I should have said, any point along the vertical line will have no vertical velocity, not just the points at the extreme ends of the line.
 
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  • #5


1) The statement that the torque of the weight of any body about any vertical axis is always 0 is not always true. The torque of an object is the product of the force applied and the distance from the axis of rotation. If the force is applied at a distance of 0 from the axis, the torque will also be 0. However, if the force is applied at a distance from the axis, the torque will not be 0. Therefore, the torque of the weight of a body about a vertical axis will only be 0 if the weight is applied at the axis itself, which is not always the case.

2) Yes, there is a point on the sphere that has a vertical velocity. This is because when a sphere rolls on a horizontal surface, it has both translational and rotational motion. The point of contact between the sphere and the surface will have a zero velocity, but other points on the sphere will have both horizontal and vertical velocities.

3) The torque of the resultant force acting on a particle is valid for different particles of a body as long as their lines of action intersect at a common point. This is because the torque of a force is independent of the point of application, but rather depends on the direction and magnitude of the force and the distance from the axis of rotation. As long as these factors are the same for all the forces acting on the particles, the resultant torque will be valid for the entire body.

4) In pure rolling, the angular velocity is independent of the distance from the axis of rotation because the point of contact between the rolling object and the surface is always at rest. This means that the velocity of the object's center of mass is equal to the velocity of the point of contact, which does not change with distance from the axis. Therefore, the angular velocity, which is the ratio of the linear velocity to the distance from the axis, will also remain constant.
 

FAQ: Rotational Motion and torque problem

What is rotational motion?

Rotational motion is the movement of an object around an axis or center point. This type of motion is characterized by circular or curved paths.

What is torque in rotational motion?

Torque is a measure of the turning force that causes an object to rotate. It is calculated by multiplying the force applied to an object by the distance from the axis of rotation.

How is rotational motion different from linear motion?

Rotational motion involves movement around an axis, while linear motion involves movement in a straight line. Additionally, rotational motion is affected by torque, while linear motion is affected by force.

What is the relationship between force, torque, and rotational motion?

In rotational motion, torque is directly proportional to the force applied and the distance from the axis of rotation. This means that increasing either the force or the distance from the axis will result in an increase in torque and rotational motion.

How do I solve problems involving rotational motion and torque?

To solve problems involving rotational motion and torque, it is important to understand the concepts and equations involved, such as torque = force x distance and angular acceleration = torque/mass moment of inertia. It is also helpful to draw diagrams and use vector addition to visualize the forces and torques acting on an object.

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