Angular momentum

Instructor: Dr. Hoi Lam TAM (譚海嵐)

Physics Enhancement Programme for Gifted Students
The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education
and
Department of Physics, HKBU

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 Contents

• Operation of vectors
• Angular momentum
• Angular momentum of rigid body
• Conservation of angular momentum
• Examples

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Angular Momentum
    
l  r  p  m(r  v )
l  mrv sin.
Alternatively,
l  rp  rmv or l  r p  r mv

Newton’s Second Law


 dl
  .
dt
The vector sum of all the torques acting
on a particle is equal to the time rate of
change of the angular momentum of that
particle.

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Proof
  
l  m(r  v )
Differentiating with respect to time,
  
dl   dv dr  
 m r    v 
dt  dt dt 
   
 mr  a  v  v 
dl
dt
   
v  v  0 because the angle between v and v is zero.

   
 mr  a   r  ma
dl
dt
 
Using Newton’s law, F  ma. Hence

  
 r   F    r  F .
dl 
dt 
    dl
Since   r  F , we arrive at   dt .

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The Angular Momentum of a System of Particles
Total angular momentum for n particles:
   
L  l1  l2    li
Newtons’ law for angular motion:
 
 dli
d  dL .
    l 
i
dt dt i dt


i includes torques acting on all the n particles. Both internal torques and
external torques are considered.
Using Newton’s law of action and reaction, the internal forces cancel in pairs.
Hence

 dL
  ext
 .
dt

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The Angular Momentum of a Rigid Body

For the ith particle, angular momentum:

li  ri pi sin90 o  ri mi vi .
The component of angular momentum parallel to
the rotation axis (the z component):
liz  li sin   (ri sin  )(mi vi )
 ri  mi vi .
The total angular momentum for the rotating body

Lz   liz   mi vi ri 
i i

 2 
  mi (ri  )ri      mi ri  .
i  i 
This reduces to L  I.
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Conservation of Angular Momentum

 dL
 ext

dt
If no external torque acts on the system,

dL
0
dt

L  constant.
 
Li  L f .

Law of conservation of angular momentum.

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Examples
A student sits on a stool that can rotate freely about a vertical axis. The
student, initially at rest, is holding a bicycle wheel whose rim is loaded
with lead and whose rotational inertia I about its central axis is 1.2
kgm2. The wheel is rotating at an angular speed wh of 3.9 rev/s; as
seen from overhead, the rotation is counterclockwise. The axis of the
wheel is vertical, and the angular momentum Lwh of the wheel points
vertically upward. The student now inverts the wheel; as a result, the
student and stool rotate about the stool axis. The rotational inertia Ib
of the student + stool + wheel system about the stool axis is 6.8 kgm2.
With what angular speed b and in what direction does the composite
body rotate after the inversion of the wheel?

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 Using the conservation of angular momentum,

Lwh  L  ( Lwh )

L  2Lwh
I bb  2 Iwh

2 Iwh (2)(1.2)(3.9)
b  
Ib 6.8
 1.38 rev s 1

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Examples
A cockroach with mass m rides on a disk of mass 6m and radius R. The
disk rotates like a merry-go-round around its central axis at angular
speed I = 1.5 rad s1. The cockroach is initially at radius r = 0.8R, but
then it crawls out to the rim of the disk. Treat the cockroach as a
particle. What then is the angular speed?

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Using the conservation of angular momentum, we have
I f  f  I ii
Rotational inertia:
The disk:
1
I d  MR 2  3mR 2
2
The cockroach:
I ci  m(0.8R) 2  0.64mR 2
and I cf  mR 2

I i  I d  I ci  3.64mR2
I f  I d  I cf  4mR 2
I ii (3.64mR 2 )(1.5)
Therefore, f    1.37 rad s 1

If 4mR 2
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Precession of a Gyroscope
Torque due to the gravitational force
  Mgr sin 90o  Mgr
Angular momentum
L  I
For a rapidly spinning
 gyroscope, the
magnitude of L is not affected by the
precession,
dL d
dL  Ld L
dt dt
Using Newton’s second law for rotation,
dL

dt
d d
Mgr  L  L where 
dt dt
Mgr Mgr
is the precession rate  
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Example Rolling of a Hexagonal Prism (1998 IPhO)
Consider a long, solid, rigid, regular hexagonal prism like a common type of pencil. The mass of
the prism is M and it is uniformly distributed. The length of each side of the cross-sectional
hexagon is a. The moment of inertia I of the hexagonal prism about its central axis is I =
5Ma2/12.
a) The prism is initially at rest with its axis horizontal on an inclined plane which makes a small
angle  with the horizontal. Assume that the surfaces of the prism are slightly concave so that
the prism only touches the plane at its edges. The effect of this concavity on the moment of
inertia can be ignored. The prism is now displaced from rest and starts an uneven rolling down
the plane. Assume that friction prevents any sliding and that the prism does not lose contact
with the plane. The angular velocity just before a given edge hits the plane is i while f is the
angular velocity immediately after the impact. Show that f = si and find the value of s.
b) The kinetic energy of the prism just before and after impact is Ki and Kf. Show that Kf = rKi
and find r.
c) For the next impact to occur, Ki must exceed a minimum value Ki,min which may be written in
the form Ki,min = Mga. Find  in terms of  and r.
d) If the condition of part (c) is satisfied, the kinetic energy Ki will approach a fixed value Ki,0 as
the prism rolls down the incline. Show that Ki,0 can be written as Ki,0 = Mga and find .
e) Calculate the minimum slope angle 0 for which the uneven rolling, once started, will
continue indefinitely.
Pf

30o
Pi Department of Physics
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 E
a) Angular momentum about edge E before the impact
11
Li  I CM i  M (ai )(a sin 30o )  Ma 2i
12
Angular momentum about edge E after the impact

5  17
L f  I E f   Ma 2  Ma 2  f  Ma 2 f
 12  12
Using the conservation of angular momentum, Li = Lf

11 17
Ma 2i  Ma 2 f
12 12
Pf
11
 f  i
17
30o
Pi
11
Thus, s   E
17

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b) The kinetic energy of the prism just before and after impact is Ki and Kf. Show that
Kf = rKi and find r.

b)
1 5  17
K i   Ma 2  Ma 2 i2  Ma 2i2
2  12  24

1 5  17
K f   Ma 2  Ma 2  2f  Ma 2 2f
2  12  24

 2f  
11
2
121
K f  2 Ki    Ki  Ki
i  17  289 Pf

121
r 30o
289 Pi
 E

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 c) For the next impact to occur, Ki must exceed a minimum value Ki,min which may be
written in the form Ki,min = Mga. Find  in terms of  and r.

c) After the impact, the center of mass of the prism raises to its highest position by
turning through an angle 90o  ( + 60o) = 30o  . Hence
rKi ,min  Mga  Mga cos(30o   )

1

  1  cos(30o   )
r


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d) If the condition of part (c) is satisfied, the kinetic energy Ki will approach a fixed
value Ki,0 as the prism rolls down the incline. Show that Ki,0 can be written as Ki,0 =
Mga and find .

d) At the next impact, the center of mass lowers by a height of asin. Change in the
kinetic energy
K  Mga sin 
Kinetic energy immediately before the next impact
f ( K i )  Mga sin   rKi
When the kinetic energy approaches Ki,0,
K i , 0  Mga sin   rKi , 0
Mga sin 
Ki ,0 
1 r
sin 
Thus 
1 r

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e) For the rolling to continue indefinitely,

K i , 0  K i ,min  
sin  1
1 r r

 1  cos(30o   ) 
r 3 1
sin   1  cos   sin 
1 r 2 2
 r 1 3
   sin   cos   1
1  r 2  2

 A  1 / 22  3 / 4cos u sin   sin u cos    1

where A = r/(1  r) = 121/168 and
3/2 3
sin u    0.5788
 A  1 / 2  3 / 4 (205 / 84)  3
2 2

1 4
 u  35.36 o sin(  u )    0.6683
 A  1 / 2  3 / 4 (205 / 84)  3
2 2

  + u  41.94o.  0  6.58o. Department of Physics

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