Jordan university of Science and Technology (JUST)

physics103
 Torque
“Torque is defined as the tendency to produce a change in rotational motion”.

• Torque is vector quantity

• Torque is given by this equation:
Torque = force x moment arm,
where, 𝑟 is The moment arm or lever arm
and F is applied force

The symbol for torque is the Greek

letter tau "𝝉". Its unit is (N.m)

Here, the product of 𝐹 and 𝑟 is called

the vector product or cross product. The
vector product of two vectors results in another
vector that is perpendicular to both the vectors .
Fig.1 torque on a rigid body
 Torque
• The moment arm or lever arm which is the perpendicular distance between the line of
action of the force and the center of rotation
• The line of action is an imaginary line drawn along the direction of the force.
 Torque

Torque has a magnitude (𝑟 × 𝐹 = r Fsinθ ) and direction perpendicular to

r and F .

Here, θ is the angle between r and F , and 𝑛 is the unit vector in the direction
of "τ".

The direction of torque is found using right hand rule. This rule says that if fingers
of right hand are kept along the position vector with palm facing the direction of
the force and when the fingers are curled the thumb points to the direction of the
torque. This is shown in Figure 2:
 Direction of torque
Right hand rule

1. Point the fingers in the direction of the position vector.

2. Curl the fingers toward the force vector.
3. The thumb points in the direction of Torque.

Fig.2. direction of torque using right hand rule

 Right hand rule

The direction of torque helps us to find the type of rotation caused by the
torque. For example, if the direction of torque is out of the paper, then the
rotation produced by the torque is counter clockwise. On the other hand, if the
direction of the torque is into the paper, then the rotation is clockwise as
shown in Figure 3.

(a) Counter clockwise rotation

Fig. 3.direction of torque and type of rotation

 Sign of Torque

• Clockwise rotation is a negative torque.

• Counter clockwise rotation is a positive
torque

Right – hand rule

r r F
F

- +
 Evaluate the torque
In many cases, the direction and magnitude of the torque are found separately.
For direction, we use the vector rule or right hand rule. For magnitude, we use
scalar form as,

The expression for the magnitude of torque can be written in two different
ways by associating sin θ either with r or F in the following manner.
Torque values depends on 𝜽
 Net Torque

Net torque means calculating the resulting torque from n different contributing
forces. Thus:

τ𝒏𝒆𝒕 = τ𝟏 + τ𝟐 + τ𝟑 +…

just like in kinematics, if the sum of the torques is 0, then the object is in rotational
equilibrium, meaning it is neither accelerating nor decelerating.

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Example :A crane has an arm length of 20 m inclined at 30o with the vertical. It carries a
container of mass of 2 ton suspended from the top end of the arm. Find the magnitude torque
produced by the gravitational force on the container about the point where the arm is fixed to
the crane. [Given: 1 ton = 1000 kg; neglect the weight of the arm. g = 10 ms-2].

Solution:

𝝉 = 𝑭 𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽, (𝜃 = 150° )

𝐹 = 𝑚𝑔 = 2000 × 10 = 20000 𝑁 , 1 𝑡𝑜𝑛 = 100𝑘𝑔

Now,

𝝉 = 20000 × 20 × 𝑠𝑖𝑛150 = 2 × 105 mN

Example: given that a =1m and b= 2m, find the net torque acting on
the wheel about the axle passing through the center?
𝐹1 = 20𝑁
𝜏𝑁𝑒𝑡 =𝜏1 + 𝜏2 + 𝜏3 + 𝜏4 + 𝜏5

𝜏1 = 𝐹1 𝑟1 sin 90
𝜏1 = 20 2 1 = −40 mN 𝐹4 = 10𝑁

o a
𝜏2 = 𝐹2 𝑟2 sin 90

𝜏2 = (20) (2) (1) = +40 mN 𝐹2 = 20𝑁

b
𝜏3 = 𝐹3 𝑟3 sin 90
𝜏3 = 30 1 1 = −30 𝑚𝑁
𝐹3 = 30𝑁
𝜏4 = 𝐹4 𝑟4 sin 90 𝐹5 = 40𝑁
𝜏4 = 10 1 1 = +10 𝑚𝑁
𝜏5 = 0, ( lever arm equals zero)

𝜏𝑁𝑒𝑡 = -40+40-30+10= -20 mN

Example: Depends on the fig. find the net torques about A?

τ𝑛𝑒𝑡 = τ1 + τ2 + τ3

τ1 =3F1 sin120 = +130 mN

τ2 =10F2 sin80 = + 590 mN

τ3 = 5F3 sin135 = - 141.5 mN

τ𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 130 + 590.9 - 141.5 = 579.4 mN

Q#1: The bar in the figure is pivoted at the point P. What is the torque magnitude
exerted by the force F= 20N on the bar about point P (in N.m)?

𝜏 = 10 × 20 sin 90 = 200 𝑁𝑚 (ccw)

Q#2: In the figure shown, find the total (net)Torque on the rod around the origin
(point O)?

Answer: 2.5 Nm (clockwise)

Q#3: A weightless rod of 3 m in length. What is the net torque around point O
as shown in figure?

Answer: 15 Nm (ccw)
2m