05 Dynamics of Rotation

Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
EN PHYS 1 – PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

Subject Instructor: Engr. Noli M. Esperas Jr.
Module No. & Title: 5. Dynamics of Rotation
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5. Dynamics of Rotation
Outline of Topics
1. Torque
2. Rigid Body in Equilibrium
3. Center of Gravity
Specific Intended Learning Outcome/s (SILOs)

At the end of this topic, the student should be able to:
 Determine the relationship of force and distance in computing torque
 Solve problems involving rigid body in equilibrium
 Determine the center of gravity of a rigid body
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A net force applied to a body gives that body acceleration. But what does it takes to give a body an angular
acceleration? That is, what does it take to start a stationary body rotating or to bring a spinning body to a
stop? A force s required, but it must be applied in a way that gives a twisting or turning action.
In this chapter we will define a new physical quantity, torque, which describes the twisting or turning effort
of a force. We’ll find that the net torque acting on a rigid body determines its angular acceleration, in the
same way that net force on a body determines its linear acceleration.
Lesson 1: Torque
The mass of most rigid objects is spread out and not concentrated at
a single point. These objects can move in a number of ways. In figure
a, it illustrates one possibility called translational motion, in which all
points on the body travel on parallel paths (not necessarily straight
lines). In pure translation there is no rotation of any line in the body.
Because translational motion can occur along a curved line, it is often
called curvilinear motion or linear motion. Another possibility is
rotational motion, which may occur in combination with translational
motion, as is the case for the figure b.
A net external force causes linear motion to change, but what causes
rotational motion to change? For example, something causes the
rotational velocity of a speedboat’s propeller to change when the boat
accelerates. Is it simple the net force? As it turns out, it is not the net
external force, but rather the net external torque that causes the
rotational velocity to change. Just as greater net forces causes
greater linear accelerations, greater net torques cause greater
rotational or angular accelerations.
EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 1 of 11

To help explain the idea of torque, we consider the figure at the

right. When you push on a door with a force F as in part a, the door
open more quickly when the force is larger. Other things being
equal, a larger force generates a larger torques. However, the door
does not open as quickly if you apply the same force at a point
closer to the hinge, as in part b, because the force now produces
less torques. Furthermore, if your push is directed nearly at the
hinge as in part c, you will have a hard time opening the door at all,
because the torque is nearly zero. In summary, the torque depends
on the magnitude of the force, on the point where the force s
applied relative to the axis of rotation, and on the direction of the
force.
For simplicity, we deal with situations in which the force lies in a

plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. In the figure
below, for instance, the axis is perpendicular to the page and the
force lies in the plane of the paper. The drawing shows the line of
action and lever arm of the force, two concepts that are important
in the definition of torque. The line of action is an extended line
drawn collinear with the force. The lever arm is the distance l
between the line of action and the axis of rotation, measured on a
line that is perpendicular to both.
Example Problem
In the figure above, a force (magnitude = 55N) is applied to a door. However, the lever arms are different in
the three parts of the drawing: (a) l = 0.08m (b) l = 0.60m and (c) l = 0m. find the torque in each case.

Solution:
Practice Problem
In the figure shows the ankle joint and the Achilles tendon attached to the heel at point P. the tendon exerts
a force F (magnitude = 720N). Determine the torque (magnitude and direction) of this force about the ankle
joint, which is located 3.6 x 10-2m away from point P.
Answer: -15Nm
Lesson 2: Rigid Body in Equilibrium

If a rigid body is in equilibrium, neither its linear motion nor its rotational motion changes. For two
dimensional motion the x and y components of the net force are separately zero. In calculating the net
force, we include only forces from external forces. In addition to linear motion, we must consider rotational
motion, which also does not change under equilibrium conditions. This means that the net external torque
acting on the object must be zero, because torque is what causes rotational motion to change. We will use
τ (tau) to represent the torque.
We define rigid body equilibrium in the following way:

Example Problem
A woman whose weight is 530N is poised at the right end of a
diving board with a length of 3.90m the board has negligible
weight and is bolted down at the left end, while being supported
1.40m away by a fulcrum. Find the force F 1 and F2 that the bolt
and the fulcrum, respectively, exert on the board.
Solution:
This value for F2, along with W = 530N, can be substituted into
equation 1 to show that F1 = 950N.
Note: The choice of the axis is completely arbitrary because if an

object is in equilibrium, it is in equilibrium with respect to any axis
whatsoever.
Example Problem
In the figure, an 8.00m ladder of weight W L = 355N leans against a smooth vertical wall. The term “smooth”
means that the wall can exert only a normal force directed perpendicular to the wall and cannot exert a
frictional force parallel to it. A firefighter, whose weight is W F = 875N, stands 6.30m up from the bottom of
the ladder. Assume that the ladder’s weight acts at the ladder’s center, and neglect the hose’s weight. Find
the forces that the wall and the ground exert on the ladder.

Solution:
Note: Choosing the direction of an unknown force backward in the free-body diagram simply means that
the value determined for the force will be a negative number
Example Problem
A bodybuilder holds a dumbbell of weight Wd as in the figure. His arm is horizontal and weighs W a = 31N.
the deltoid muscle is assumed to be the only muscle acting and is attached to the arm. The maximum force
M that the deltoid muscle can supply has a magnitude of 1,840N. What is the weight of the heaviest
dumbbell that can be held, and what are the horizontal and vertical force components S x and Sy, that the
shoulder joint applies to the left end of the arm?
Answer: 1,790N; 86.1N; - 297N:

Lesson 3: Center of Gravity

Often, it is important to know the torque produces by the weight of an extended body. It is necessary to
determine the torques caused by the weight of the ladder and the arm (example problem above). In both
cases the weight is considered to act at a definite point for the purpose of calculating the torque. This point
is called center of gravity (abbreviation “cg”).
The center of gravity of a rigid body is the point at which its weight can be considered to act when the
torque due to the weight is being calculate. When an object has a symmetrical shape and its weight is
distributed uniformly, the center of gravity lies at its geometrical center. For example, a stick with a length of
L, the center of gravity of this stick lies on L/2. However, this does not mean that the center of gravity must
lie within the object itself. The center of gravity of a compact disc lies at the center of the hole in the disc.
We can locate the center of gravity by:
Example Problem
The horizontal arm illustrated in the figure is composed of three parts: the upper arm (W 1 = 17N), the lower
arm (W2 = 11N), and the hand (W 3 = 4.2N). the drawing shows the center of gravity of each part, measured
with respect to the shoulder joint. Find the center of gravity of the entire arm, relative to the shoulder joint.
Solution:

Practice Problem
A person is standing on a level floor. His head, upper torso, arms and hands together weigh 438N and
have a center of gravity that s 1.28m above the floor. His upper legs weight 144N and have a center of
gravity that is 0.760m above the floor. Finally, his lower legs and feet together weigh 87N and have a
center of gravity that is 0.250m above the floor. Relative to the floor, find the location of the center of gravity
for his entire body.
Answer: 1.03m
References:
Physics 9th Edition by Cutnell, et. al.

Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with Modern Physics Technology Update 13th Edition by Young, et. al

EN PHYS 1 – PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS Period: ___________________

Name of Student: ____________________________________________Course and Year: __________
Schedule (Time and Day): _____________________________________Final Rating: ______________
=================================================================================
5. Dynamics of Rotation
Assessment Task:
Direction: Accomplished and submit only the assessment task on the next delivery of learning materials.
Torque
1. The steering wheel of a car has a radius of 1.90m, and the steering wheel of a truck has a radius of
0.25m. the same force is applied in the same direction to each steering wheel. What is the ratio of
the torque produced but this force in the truck to the torque produced in the car?
2. You installing a new spark plug in your car, and the manual specifies that it be tightened to a torque
that has a magnitude of 45Nm. Using the data in the drawing, determine the magnitude F of the
force that you must exert on the wretch.
3. A rod is lying on the top of a table. One end of the rod is hinged to the table so that the rod can
rotate freely on the tabletop. Two forces, both parallel to the tabletop, act on the rod at the same
place. One force is directed perpendicular to the rod and has a magnitude of 38.0N. the second
force has a magnitude of 55.0N and is directed at an angle θ with respect to the rod. If the sum of
the torques due to the two forces is zero, what must be the angle θ?

Rigid body in Equilibrium and Center of Gravity

4. The drawing shows a person (weight, W = 584N) doing push-ups. Find the normal force exerted by
the floor on each hand and each foot assuming that the person holds this position.
5. A biker, who weighs 985N, is strolling through the woods and crosses a small horizontal bridge. The
bridge is uniform, weighs 3,610N, and rests on two concrete supports, one at each end. He stops
one-fifth of the way along the bridge. What is the magnitude of the force that a concrete support
exerts on the bridge (a) at the near end and (b) at the far end?
6. A man holds a 178N ball in his hand, with the forearm horizontal (see the drawing). He can support
the ball in this position because of the flexor muscle force M, which is applied perpendicular to the
forearm. The forearm weighs 22.0N and has a center of gravity as indicated. Find (a) the magnitude
of M and (b) the magnitude and direction of the force applied by the upper ar bone o the forearm at
the elbow joint.

7. A 1220N uniform beam is attached to a vertical wall at one end and is supported by a cable at the
other end. A 1960N crate hangs from the far end of the beam. Using the date shown in the drawing,
find (a) the magnitude f the tension in the wire and (b) the magnitude of the horizontal and vertical
components of the force that the wall exerts on the left end of the beam.
8. The drawing shown an A-shaped stepladder. Both sides of the ladder are equal in length. This
ladder is standing on a frictionless horizontal surface, and only the crossbar (which has a negligible
mass) of the “A” keeps the ladder from collapsing. The ladder is uniform and has a mass of 20.0kg.
Determine the tension in the crossbar of the ladder.

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Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

EN PHYS 1 – PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

Specific Intended Learning Outcome/s (SILOs)

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 1 of 11

To help explain the idea of torque, we consider the figure at the

For simplicity, we deal with situations in which the force lies in a

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 2 of 11

Lesson 2: Rigid Body in Equilibrium

We define rigid body equilibrium in the following way:

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 3 of 11

Note: The choice of the axis is completely arbitrary because if an

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 4 of 11

Answer: 1,790N; 86.1N; - 297N:

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 5 of 11

Lesson 3: Center of Gravity

We can locate the center of gravity by:

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 6 of 11

Physics 9th Edition by Cutnell, et. al.

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 7 of 11

EN PHYS 1 – PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS Period: ___________________

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 8 of 11

Rigid body in Equilibrium and Center of Gravity

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 9 of 11

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 10 of 11

EN PHYS 1 – Physics for Engineers Page 11 of 11

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