Dynamics of rigid bodies

A rigid body is a system of particles whose

relative distances are kept constant during the
motion  the total number of degrees of freedom
is much more less than 3 times the number of
particles. A rigid body has 6 degrees of freedom:
- 3 for rotation and 3 for translation.
   
vi    ri  VCM
ω – angular velocity
  
   vi    ri only for rotation
Li  ri , vi
vi   ri sin  i  Ri
      
Li  ri  pi  mi ri  vi ,  Li  mi  ri  vi , (ri  vi )
- angular momentum with respect to the origin O

A rigid body that is constrained to  

rotate, with the angular velocity ω, Liz  mi ri vi cos   i   mi ri vi sin  i  mi Ri2
around an axis Oz 2 
- the z-component
 The angular momentum of the object
     
L   Li   mi ri  vi Usually L is not parallel with 
i i

The z-component Lz of the angular momentum

 2
L z   Liz    mi Ri 

i  i 
- the angular momentum around the axis of rotation Oz

I z   mi Ri2 rotational inertia around Oz – moment de interţie (ro)

i

Lz  I z  - we can assume a continuous mass distribution

From I z   mi Ri2  I z   r 2 dm    r 2 dV I z    r 2 dV
i V V V
Iz depends on the geometrical properties of the object
We can choose a set of three orthogonal axes, named principal axes of inertia
   
- X0, Y0, Z0 principal axes of inertia for which L ||  LI
- principal moments of inertia: I1 , I2 , I 3  I1 0 0
 
I 0 I2 0
0 I 3 
 0
Calculation of the rotational inertia for a solid cylinder
- We are using cylindrical coordinates, r, θ, z:

dV  dS  dz dS  r d dr
h
2 R 2
Iz     rddrdz
2
r
h0 0

2
R2 1
I z  hR  MR 2
2
2 2

1 1
- x or y-axis: Ix  Iy  MR 2  Mh 2
4 12
The rotational inertia of a rectangular plate around Z axis – ex. of calculation

I z    r 2 dV , r 2  x 2  y 2 , dV  dx  dy  dz

c b a

  x     
2 2 2
1 1
Iz    2
 y  dx  d y  dz
2
Iz  abc a 2  b 2  M a 2  b 2
c b a
12 12
  
2 2 2
 Central axis of disk

Disk with a hole

Hoop

Rectangular plate

http://www.livephysics.com/tables-of-physical-data/mechanical/moment-of-inertia.html
The Steiner theorem for parallel rotational axis

I   I C  Ma 2

IC is the rotational inertia of the body around an axis

which is parallel to Δ and passes trough the centre
of mass C.M.

The fundamental equation of the rotational movement of the rigid body

 
e d  L   Li
M  L i
dt  e
M  Mi
e is the net torque due to external forces that
i act on the body
 e
d
 I M
d I   e dt
M If I=constant 
dt  e
IM ε - angular acceleration
   
If M 0  L  I  const.    const.  technical applications
- conservation of the angular momentum for the rigid body
- the skater which is
rotating
The total kinetic energy of the rigid body

1
vi    Ri , Ti  mi vi2 - the kinetic energy of particle ”i”
2

-the total kinetic energy for the rotational movement:

1  L2
  mi Ri     mi Ri2   2  I  2 or
1 1
Trot
2
Trot 
2 i 2 i  2 2I

1
WCM  M VCM
2
- the kinetic energy for the translational movement
2

1 1
T  M VCM  I 2
2
- the total kinetic energy
2 2
Technical application: the flywheel (volant – ro) - is a mechanical
device with a significant moment of inertia used as a storage device
for rotational energy.
The Gyroscope
The gyroscope effect was discovered in 1817 by Johann Bohnenberger
1852 - Léon Foucault  an experiment involving the rotation of the Earth.
Foucault's experiment to see (skopeein, to see) the Earth's rotation (gyros,
circle or rotation) was unsuccessful due to friction, which effectively limited
each trial to 8 to 10 minutes
- electric motors made the concept feasible, leading to the first prototype
gyrocompasses; the first functional marine gyrocompass was developed
between 1905 and 1908 by German inventor Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe.

A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based

on the principle of conservation of angular momentum.

The device, once spinning, tends to resist

changes to its orientation due to the angular
momentum of the wheel. In physics this
phenomenon is also known as gyroscopic
inertia or rigidity in space.
A gyroscope in operation with
freedom in all three axes The Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the
first demonstration of the Earth's rotation
that did not involve celestial observations,

- if the gyroscope's spin slows down (for

example, due to friction), its angular
momentum decreases and the rate of
precession increases – why?

Precession on a gyroscope
 Properties of the Gyroscope
Gyroscopes can be used to construct gyrocompasses which complement or
replace magnetic compasses (in ships, aircraft and spacecraft, vehicles in
general), to assist in stability (bicycle, Hubble and Kepler Space Telescopes,
ships, vehicles in general) or be used as part of an Inertial guidance system.
Gyroscopic effects are used in toys like yo-yos and Powerballs. Many other
rotating devices, such as flywheels, behave gyroscopically although the
gyroscopic effect is not used
The fundamental equation describing the behaviour of the gyroscope

 dL d I  
M    I
dt dt

If M e due to an external force is applied perpendicular to the axis of rotation

results in a motion perpendicular to L
 
  Me  L
 dL d I   
Me    dL  M e dt
dt dt
      
Because M e  L  dL  L and   L  M Ω - velocity of precession
e

 L is changing his direction but not his modulus (ω=ct.)  precession
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