SEHH1049 Physics I

L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Introduction
 We have examined only the motion of translation, in
which an object moves along a straight or curved line. We
now turn to the motion of rotation, in which an object
turns about an axis

 We begin our discussion of rotation by defining the

variables for the motion (kinematics)
 The variables for rotation are analogous to those for
translational motion

 Newtonian and work-energy equations (kinetics) follow

2 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Outline
 10-1 Rotational Variables
 10-2 Rotation with Constant Angular Acceleration
 10-3 Relating the Linear and Angular Variables
 10-4 Kinetic Energy of Rotation
 10-5 Calculating the Rotational Inertia
 10-6 Torque
 10-7 Newton’s Second Law for Rotation
 10-8 Work and Rotational Kinetic Energy

3 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-1 Rotational Variables
 Angular position (角度)
𝑠
 𝜃= [rad]
𝑟

Here s is the length of a circular arc that

extends from the x-axis (the zero angular
position) to the reference line, and r is the
radius of the circle.

An angle defined in this way is measured

in radians (rad). 1 rad = 57.3°.

4 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-1 Rotational Variables
 Angular displacement (角位移)
 ∆𝜃 = 𝜃2 − 𝜃1 [rad]
 Counterclockwise (CCW) direction is positive ↺
 Clockwise (CW) direction is negative ↻

 Angular velocity (角速度)

𝑑𝜃
 𝜔= [rad/s]
𝑑𝑡 Analogy
(comparison) Linear Angular
 Angular acceleration Displacement (with 𝑠 𝜃
“0” reference)
(角加速度)
Velocity 𝑣 𝜔
𝑑𝜔
 𝛼= [rad/s 2 ] Acceleration 𝑎 𝛼
𝑑𝑡

5 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Sample Problem
 A child’s top is spun with angular acceleration 𝛼 = 5𝑡 3 − 4𝑡, with t in
seconds and 𝛼 in radians per second-squared. At t = 0, the top has angular
velocity 5 rad/s, and a reference line on it is at angular position 𝜃 = 2 rad.

6 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Sample Problem

7 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Questions
 Q1.

8 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-1 Rotational Variables

𝜽, 𝝎, 𝜶
𝜽 𝒙 + 𝜽𝒚 ≠ 𝜽𝒚 + 𝜽𝒙
9 Not commutative, not a vector!
10-2 Rotation with Constant Angular
Acceleration
 In pure rotation, the case of constant angular
acceleration is also important, and a set of equations
holds for this case is given below

Linear motion equations Angular motion equations

𝑣 = 𝑢 + 𝑎𝑡 𝜔 = 𝜔0 + 𝛼𝑡
𝑣 2 = 𝑢2 + 2𝑎𝑠 𝜔2 = 𝜔0 2 + 2𝛼𝜃
1 1
𝑠 = 𝑢𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡 2 𝜃 = 𝜔0 𝑡 + 𝛼𝑡 2
2 2

10 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Sample Problem
 A grindstone rotates at constant angular acceleration 𝛼 = 0.35 rad/s2. At
time t = 0, it has an angular velocity of 𝜔0 =-4.6 rad/s and a reference line
on it is horizontal, at the angular position 𝜃0 = 0.

11 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-3 Relating the Linear and Angular
Variables
 Position
 If a reference line on a rigid body rotates through an angle 𝜃, a
point within the body at a position r from the rotation axis
moves a distance s along a circular arc
 𝑠 = 𝜃𝑟

 Speed
𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝜃
 = 𝑟
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
 𝑣 = 𝜔𝑟

12 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-3 Relating the Linear and Angular
Variables
 Acceleration (tangential)
𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝜔
 = 𝑟
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
 𝑎𝑡 = 𝛼𝑟

 Acceleration (radial)
𝑣2
 𝑎𝑟 =
𝑟

13 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Sample Problem
 In a track of an induction roller coaster, each passenger leaves the loading
point with acceleration g along the horizontal track. The first section of the
track forms a circular arc, so that the passenger also experiences a
centripetal acceleration. As the passenger accelerates along the arc, the
magnitude of this centripetal acceleration increases alarmingly. When the
magnitude a of the net acceleration reaches 4g at some point P and angle
θP along the arc, the passenger then moves in a straight line, along a
tangent to the arc.

Along here, the

Along here, the passenger has
passenger has both tangential
only tangential and radial
acceleration. accelerations.

14 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

 and

gives

Put into gives

15 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-4 Kinetic Energy of Rotation
 A rotating rigid body can be treated as a collection of
particles with different speeds. The kinetic energy of a
rotating body is then given by

 where mi is the mass of the ith particle and vi is its speed

 where is called the rotational inertia (or moment

of inertia) of the body with respect to the axis of rotation
16 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)
10-5 Calculating the Rotational Inertia
 Rotational inertia I (轉動慣量) corresponds to how difficult
it is to change the state of rotation (speed up, slow down or
change the axis of rotation)
 System of particles

 Rigid body

17 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

18 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)
Sample Problem
 A thin, uniform rod of mass M and length L, on an x-axis with the origin at
the rod’s center. What is the rotational inertia of the rod about the
perpendicular rotation axis through the center?

19 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

 Parallel-axis theorem (平行軸定理)
 If we happen to already know the rotational inertia Icom of the body
about a parallel axis that extends through the body’s center of mass,

 where h be the perpendicular distance between the given axis and the
axis through the center of mass

 Proof of the Parallel-Axis Theorem

 𝐼𝑃 = 𝑟 2 𝑑𝑚
 = (𝑥 − 𝑎)2 +(𝑦 − 𝑏)2 𝑑𝑚
 = (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) 𝑑𝑚 − 2𝑎 𝑥 𝑑𝑚 −
2𝑏 𝑦 𝑑𝑚 + (𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 ) 𝑑𝑚
 = 𝑅 2 𝑑𝑚 + ℎ2 𝑑𝑚
 = 𝐼𝑐𝑜𝑚 + 𝑀ℎ2

 where r is the distance from P to dm

 where R is the distance from O to dm
20 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)
Sample Problem
 A rigid body consisting of two particles of
mass m connected by a rod of length L and
negligible mass.
 (a) What is the rotational inertia Icom about an axis through the center of
mass, perpendicular to the rod as shown?

 (b) What is the rotational inertia I of the body about an axis through the
left end of the rod and parallel to the first axis?

21 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-6 Torque (力矩/轉矩)
 Torque (moment) is the tendency of a force to rotate an
object about an axis
 𝜏 =𝑟×𝐹
 𝜏 = 𝑟𝐹𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙

L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-7 Newton’s Second Law for Rotation
Newton’s second law,

23 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Sample Problem
 Figure shows a uniform disk, with mass M = 2.5 kg and radius R = 20 cm,
mounted on a fixed horizontal axle. A block with mass m = 1.2 kg hangs
from a massless cord that is wrapped around the rim of the disk. Find the
acceleration a of the falling block, the angular acceleration α of the disk,
and the tension T in the cord. The cord does not slip, and there is no
friction at the axle. α N
Torque on disk:

a
mg
… (1)

(because )

24 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

 Forces on block:
↑

… (2)
a

(1) and (2) gives:

↻
25 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)
10-8 Work and Rotational Kinetic Energy
 Work–kinetic energy theorem (𝑊 = Δ𝐾)

 where 𝜏 is the torque doing the work W, and 𝜃𝑖 and 𝜃𝑓 are the body’s
angular positions before and after the work is done, respectively.
When 𝜏 is constant,

 The rate at which the work is done is the power



26 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

Sample Problem
 Let the disk in the previous example start from rest at time t = 0 and also
let the tension in the massless cord be 6.0 N and the angular acceleration
of the disk be –24 rad/[Link] is its rotational kinetic energy K at t = 2.5 s?
(m = 1.2 kg, M = 2.5 kg and radius R = 20 cm)

27 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)

10-8 Work and Rotational Kinetic Energy

28 L5. Rotation (Ch. 10)