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Earth has a mass of 6.0 × 10 24 kg, a radius of 6.4 × 10 6 m, and an angular velocity of 1.2 × 10 –5 rev/s. How would the planet's angular velocity change if a layer of Earth with mass 1.0 × 10 23 kg broke off of the Earth, decreasing Earth's radius by 0.2 × 10 6 m? Assume no friction.

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Consider system A, consisting of two disks of radius R , with both rotating clockwise. Now consider system B, consisting of one disk of radius R rotating counterclockwise and another disk of radius 2 R rotating clockwise. All of the disks have the same mass, and all have the same magnitude of angular velocity.

Which system has the greatest angular momentum?

  1. A
  2. B
  3. They're equal.
  4. Not enough information

(b)

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Assume that a baseball bat being swung at 3π rad/s by a batting machine is equivalent to a 1.1 m thin rod with a mass of 1.0 kg. How fast would a 0.15 kg baseball that squarely hits the very tip of the bat have to be going for the net angular momentum of the bat-ball system to be zero?

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Section summary

  • Every rotational phenomenon has a direct translational analog , likewise angular momentum L size 12{L} {} can be defined as L = . size 12{L=Iω} {}
  • This equation is an analog to the definition of linear momentum as p = mv size 12{p= ital "mv"} {} . The relationship between torque and angular momentum is net τ = Δ L Δ t . size 12{"net "τ= { {ΔL} over {Δt} } } {}
  • Angular momentum, like energy and linear momentum, is conserved. This universally applicable law is another sign of underlying unity in physical laws. Angular momentum is conserved when net external torque is zero, just as linear momentum is conserved when the net external force is zero.

Conceptual questions

When you start the engine of your car with the transmission in neutral, you notice that the car rocks in the opposite sense of the engine's rotation. Explain in terms of conservation of angular momentum. Is the angular momentum of the car conserved for long (for more than a few seconds)?

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Suppose a child walks from the outer edge of a rotating merry-go round to the inside. Does the angular velocity of the merry-go-round increase, decrease, or remain the same? Explain your answer.

In figure A, there is a merry go round. A child is jumping radially outward. In figure B, a child is jumping backward to the direction of motion of merry go round. In figure C, a child is jumping from it to hang from the branch of the tree. In figure D, a child is jumping from the merry go round tangentially to its circumference.
A child may jump off a merry-go-round in a variety of directions.
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Suppose a child gets off a rotating merry-go-round. Does the angular velocity of the merry-go-round increase, decrease, or remain the same if: (a) He jumps off radially? (b) He jumps backward to land motionless? (c) He jumps straight up and hangs onto an overhead tree branch? (d) He jumps off forward, tangential to the edge? Explain your answers. (Refer to [link] ).

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Helicopters have a small propeller on their tail to keep them from rotating in the opposite direction of their main lifting blades. Explain in terms of Newton's third law why the helicopter body rotates in the opposite direction to the blades.

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Whenever a helicopter has two sets of lifting blades, they rotate in opposite directions (and there will be no tail propeller). Explain why it is best to have the blades rotate in opposite directions.

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Describe how work is done by a skater pulling in her arms during a spin. In particular, identify the force she exerts on each arm to pull it in and the distance each moves, noting that a component of the force is in the direction moved. Why is angular momentum not increased by this action?

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Practice Key Terms 2

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Source:  OpenStax, College physics for ap® courses. OpenStax CNX. Nov 04, 2016 Download for free at https://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11844/1.14
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