PHYSICS 489 - Week 21

Learning Objectives:

1. demonstrate that the angular momentum of a single point particle moving in a circle about a point on the axis of rotation depends on where on the axis the origin of the c.s. is placed and has a fixed component parallel to the axis and a time varying component normal to the axis.
2. further show that the time varying component vanishes for a system of two identical symmetrically placed point particles and that the axial component of L is independent of where on the axis the origin is located.
3. define and calculate the moment of inertia of a symmetric rigid body, such as a rod or a disk, about a symmetry axis.
4. express the angular momentum of a symmetric rigid object about its symmetry axis in terms of its angular velocity, omega.

Learning Objectives:

1. express and calculate the rotational kinetic energy of a symmetric rigid body rotating about an axis of symmetry.
2. apply Newton's 2nd Law for rotations & the law of conservation of angular momentum, as appropriate, to extended, rigid objects.