Using Vectors to describe momentum
1. What is angular momentum?
2. What is meant by moment of inertia?
3. What is a tangential force on a merry go round?
4. What is the formula for angular momentum?
5. Why does a skator spin faster if they pull in their arms?
6. What are kepler’s laws?
1. Angular momentum is a property of rotating objects that describes how much rotational motion they possess. It is similar to linear momentum but specific to objects rotating about an axis.
2. Moment of inertia refers to an object's resistance to changes in its rotational motion. It is a measure of how mass is distributed around the axis of rotation and is dependent on both the mass and shape of the object.
3. A tangential force on a merry go round refers to a force applied at a tangent to the circular path of the rotating object. This force causes a change in its speed or direction of rotation.
4. The formula for angular momentum is given by L = Iω, where L represents the angular momentum, I is the moment of inertia, and ω is the angular velocity.
5. When a skater pulls in their arms, their moment of inertia decreases due to the reduced distance of the mass from the axis of rotation. According to the conservation of angular momentum, as the moment of inertia decreases, the angular velocity must increase. This increase in angular velocity causes the skater to spin faster.
6. Kepler's laws describe the motion of planets around the Sun. They are:
- Kepler's First Law (Law of Ellipses): Each planet orbits the Sun in an elliptical path, with the Sun being located at one of the foci of the ellipse.
- Kepler's Second Law (Law of Equal Areas): The line joining a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals.
- Kepler's Third Law (Law of Harmonies): The square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of its semi-major axis length.