Consider a system like the example problem where a batting machine swings a bat but instead of a baseball, the bat hits a lump of clay, which sticks to the end of the bat. The tip of the bat has a velocity of 10m/s and the clay approaches at 5m/s. How does the angular momentum of the clay and bat after the collision compare to the angular momentum of the clay and bat before the collision, and why?
It increases, the mass of the rotating object increases
It decreases, the velocity of the rotating object decreases
It decreases, momentum is lost in the collision
It stays the same, there is no external torque on the system
The correct answer is:
It stays the same, there is no external torque on the system.