Week 6: Rotational Motion
In this last module we will cover some more advanced physics concepts. Consider, what might desks, bridges, buildings, trees, and mountains have in common? What do these objects have in common with a car moving at a constant velocity? All of these objects, stationary and moving, share an acceleration of zero. How can this be? Consider Newton’s second law, F = ma. When acceleration is zero, as is the case for both stationary objects and objects moving at a constant velocity, the net external force must also be zero. Said another way, the forces are balanced. That is, they are in equilibrium. In equilibrium, the net force is zero.
Here we will learn about the conditions necessary for equilibrium as it relates to uniform circular motion and rotational mechanics. We shall see that all important aspects of rotational motion have exact analogs to linear (or translational) motion. Furthermore, we will extend these ideas into the concept of torque and examine how forces affecting rotational mechanics influence rotational energy.
Learning Outcomes:
- Describe uniform circular motion.
- Calculate angular acceleration of an object.
- Observe the kinematics of rotational motion.
- Describe the analogy between force and torque, mass and moment of inertia, and linear and angular acceleration.
- Calculate rotational kinetic energy.
To-Do List:
- Review all assigned readings and videos
- Participate in the discussion
- Problem set 6
- Quiz 6
- Exam 2
photo credit: Daphne Zaras, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-physics/pages/1-introduction-to-science-and-the-realm-of-physics-physical-quantities-and-units