{"id":768,"date":"2019-06-17T19:16:55","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T19:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/louisville-wm-physics\/?post_type=chapter&p=768"},"modified":"2019-08-07T01:03:05","modified_gmt":"2019-08-07T01:03:05","slug":"why-it-matters-rotational-newtons-second-law","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/louisville-wm-physics\/chapter\/why-it-matters-rotational-newtons-second-law\/","title":{"raw":"Why It Matters: Rotational Newton's Second Law","rendered":"Why It Matters: Rotational Newton’s Second Law"},"content":{"raw":"A point particle, where all the mass is concentrated at a single point, can only move translationally.\u00a0 As a result, the translational version of Newton\u2019s second law, `\\Sigma \\vec{F} = m \\vec{a}`, completely describes how the forces act on a point particle to cause its motion.\u00a0 For an extended object like a rigid body, however, not only can the center of mass move, but it can also rotate about its center of mass.\u00a0 Because the extended object is capable of two types of motion, we need an additional equation we can use to describe how the object rotates.\u00a0 The rotational version of Newton\u2019s second law, `\\Sigma \\vec{\\tau} = I \\vec{\\alpha}`, describes how the net torque about an axis through the center of mass relates to the angular acceleration of the object as it rotates.\u00a0 Together, these two equations provide a complete description of how forces act to cause a rigid body to move.","rendered":"

A point particle, where all the mass is concentrated at a single point, can only move translationally.\u00a0 As a result, the translational version of Newton\u2019s second law, `\\Sigma \\vec{F} = m \\vec{a}`, completely describes how the forces act on a point particle to cause its motion.\u00a0 For an extended object like a rigid body, however, not only can the center of mass move, but it can also rotate about its center of mass.\u00a0 Because the extended object is capable of two types of motion, we need an additional equation we can use to describe how the object rotates.\u00a0 The rotational version of Newton\u2019s second law, `\\Sigma \\vec{\\tau} = I \\vec{\\alpha}`, describes how the net torque about an axis through the center of mass relates to the angular acceleration of the object as it rotates.\u00a0 Together, these two equations provide a complete description of how forces act to cause a rigid body to move.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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