Angular momentum (also called rotational momentum) is the property of a rotating body given by the product of the moment of inertia and the angular velocity of the rotating object. For example, the earth circles the sun once a year and possesses orbital angular momentum proportional to the earth-sun distance multiplied by the earth’s relative velocity perpendicular to the earth-sun distance. The angular momentum or rotational momentum (L) of an object revolving about an axis is the product of its moment of inertia and angular velocity:
L=Iω
where I is the moment of inertia (resistance to angular acceleration or deceleration, equal to the product of the mass and the square of its perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation); ω is angular velocity. In simple words, Angular momentum is basically the product of the moment of inertia of an object and its angular velocity. Furthermore, both the quantities must be about the equal and on the same axis i.e. the rotation line.
Angular momentum is categorized into two categories: spin angular momentum (e.g., rotation) and orbital angular momentum (e.g. revolution).
Table of Contents
What is Momentum?
Momentum is a vector quantity that may be defined as the product of mass and velocity.
Momentum is often divided into two types: linear momentum and angular momentum. In linear momentum, we use linear velocity to compute the dynamics of the system in that frame of reference, whereas in angular momentum, we use angular velocity to explain the dynamics of a specific system. A body can contain both linear momentum and angular momentum at the same time.
Angular Velocity
Angular velocity is the rate of change of the position angle of an object with respect to time.
In other words, angular velocity (𝒘) is a vector quantity and is equal to the angular displacement (Δ𝚹, a vector quantity) divided by the change in time (Δ𝐭).
An example of angular velocity is a race vehicle on a circular circuit or a Ferris wheel.
Moment of Inertia
The moment of inertia is the characteristic of a body that causes it to resist angular acceleration. It is calculated as the sum of the products of the mass of each particle in the body and the square of its distance from the axis of rotation.
Related Topics
Relativistic Kinetic Energy
Uniform Circular Motion
Velocity Time Graph
How to Find Instantaneous Velocity
Stress in Physics| Definition and Easy Examples
Centripetal Acceleration| 9- Easy Examples
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