Chapter–7: System of Particles and Rotational

Motion

Centre of mass of a two-particle system, momentum

conservation and Centre of mass motion. Centre of mass
of a rigid body; centre of mass of a uniform rod.
Moment of a force, torque, angular momentum, law of
conservation of angular momentum and its applications.
Equilibrium of rigid bodies, rigid body rotation and
equations of rotational motion, comparison of linear and
rotational motions.
Moment of inertia, radius of gyration, values of moments
of inertia for simple geometrical objects (no derivation).
RIGID BODY
A rigid body is a body with a perfectly definite and unchanging
shape, however large the external force may be acting on it.
The distances between different pairs of such a body do not
change .

What kind of motion can a rigid body have?

 MOTIONS OF A RIGID BODY
1. PURE TRANSLATION

In pure translational motion

at any instant of time every
particle of the body has the
same velocity.
2. TRANSLATION AND ROTATION

• Points P1, P2, P3 and P4 have different velocities at any

instant of time.
• The line along which the body is fixed is termed as its axis of
rotation.
3. ROTATION ABOUT A FIXED
AXIS
In rotation of a rigid body about a fixed axis, every particle
of the body moves in a circle, which lies in a plane
perpendicular to the axis and has its centre on the axis.
The circular path of the
particle will be
perpendicular to the axis
of rotation
 4. ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS NOT
FIXED
• The axis of a spinning top moves around the vertical line through
its point of contact with the ground, sweeping out a cone.
• The movement of the axis of rotation is termed precession.
 CENTRE OF MASS
Centre of mass is the point at which the entire mass of the body
can be assumed to be concentrated.
• In terms of position vectors, the centre of mass is given by
The centre of mass of homogeneous bodies of regular shapes like
rings, discs, spheres, rods lie at their geometric centers

Can the centre of

mass of a body be
at a point outside
the body?.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OTix-fhEUE
Find the centre of mass of three particles at the vertices of an
equilateral triangle. The masses of the particles are 100g, 150g, and
200g respectively. Each side of the equilateral triangle is 0.5m long.
 The centre of mass of a triangular lamina.

The lamina subdivided into narrow strips each parallel to the

base MN. The centre of mass lies on the point of concurrence of
the medians, i.e. on the centroid G of the triangle.
 MOTION OF CENTRE OF MASS
Centre of mass of n-particle system
where v1 is the velocity of the first particle v2 is the
velocity of the second particle etc. and V = (dR/dt )is
the velocity of the centre of mass
ie, the centre of mass of a system of particles moves as if
all the mass of the system was concentrated at the centre
of mass and all the external forces were applied at that
point.
LINEAR MOMENTUM OF A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES
LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM

‘When the total external force on the system is zero the velocity of
the centre of mass remains constant.’ i.e., moves uniformly in a
straight line like a free particle
 CM MOTON EXAMPLES:
1. A heavy nucleus radium (Ra) splits into a lighter nucleus radon
(Rn) and an alpha particle (nucleus of helium atom).

The forces leading to the decay are internal to the system and the
external forces on the system are negligible. So the total linear
momentum of the system is the same before and after decay.
Internal forces cannot change the state of centre of mass.
The CM of the Ra nucleus was
initially at rest .After decay the
two nuclei He and Rn move in
opposite directions such that
the CM is again at rest.
2. Projectile explodes into fragments
• Consider a projectile (fire crackers), following the usual parabolic
trajectory, explodes into fragments midway in air.
• The forces leading to the explosion are internal forces.
• The total external force, namely, the force of gravity acting on the
body, is the same before and after the explosion.
•The CM of all the fragments continue in the same parabolic path. This
is due to internal force.
3. Binary Stars
In astronomy, binary (double) stars is a common occurrence.
• If there are no external forces, the centre of mass of a double star
moves like a free particle.
• The two stars are moving in a circle, about the centre of
mass, which is at rest.
• the trajectories of the stars are a combination of (i) uniform
motion in a straight line of the centre of mass and (ii) circular
orbits of the stars about the centre of mass. However the position
of the stars have to be diametrically opposite to each other.
VECTOR PRODUCT OF TWO VECTORS

If the fingers of the right hand

are curled in such a way that
they point along the direction
of rotation from vector A to
vector B through a small angle,
then the thumb points in the
direction of the cross product
of vector A and B.
If a right handed screw is rotated
from vector A to vector B, through
a small angle, the direction of the
advancing screw gives the
direction of the cross product of
vectors A and B.
ANGULAR VELOCITY AND ITS RELATION WITH LINEAR VELOCITY
The direction of angular velocity is given by right hand rule
Door handles are fixed at the free edges.
Why?
Moment of force (Torque or Couple)
Applying force along the axis of rotation.
Is it possible to rotate?
Compare the turning effect of
the force when it is applied at
different point from the point
of rotation.
Compare the turning effect of force at different angles.
In which the turning effect is maximum?
To find torque right hand rule is used
Either the direction of r or F is reversed direction of
torque _________________
If the direction of F and r are reversed , _________torque.
m
Thus, the moment of a force vanishes if either
the magnitude of the force is zero, or if the line
of action of the force passes through the origin.
Torque in component form
The angular momentum to be zero (l = 0),
if the linear momentum vanishes (p = 0),
if the particle is at the origin (r = 0), or
if the directional line of p passes through
the origin θ = 0 degree or 180 degree
According to Newton’s third
law, the torque resulting from
each action-reaction pair of
forces is zero
Conservation of Angular Momentum
A child sits stationary at one end of a long trolley
moving uniformly with a speed V on a smooth
horizontal floor. If the child gets up and runs about
on the trolley in any manner, what is the speed of
the CM of the (trolley + child) system ?
The child is running arbitrarily on a trolley moving with
velocity V. However, the running of the child will produce
no effect on the velocity of the centre of mass of the
trolley. This is because the force due to the boy’s motion
is purely internal. Since no external force is involved in
the boy–trolley system, the boy’s motion will produce no
change in the velocity of the centre of mass of the trolley.
 EQUILIBRIUM OF A RIGID BODY
• The forces change the translational state of the motion of the rigid
body, i.e. they change its total linear momentum
• Torque changes the rotational state of motion of the rigid body, i.e.
it changes the total angular momentum of the body.
• A rigid body is said to be in mechanical equilibrium, if both its linear
momentum and angular momentum are not changing with time or
equivalently, the body has neither linear acceleration nor angular
acceleration.
Translational equilibrium: If the total force on the body is zero then
the total linear momentum of the body remains constant with time.

Rotational equilibrium: If the total torque on the rigid body is zero,

the total angular momentum of the body does not change with time
ROTATIONAL EQUILIBRIUM
 COUPLE
A pair of forces of equal magnitude but acting in opposite
directions with different lines of action is known as a couple or
torque. A couple produces rotation without translation.

The Earth’s magnetic field exerts

Our fingers apply a couple to equal and opposite forces on the
Turn the lid. poles of a compass needle. These
two forces form a couple.
PRINCIPLE OF MOMENTS
As the w of the body acts through
its centre of gravity, the torque
due to weight of the body about its
centre of gravity is zero
Note : The body being small, g does not vary from
one point of the body to the other. If the body is so
extended that g varies from part to part of the body,
then the centre of gravity and centre of mass will not
coincide. Basically, the two are different concepts.
The centre of mass has nothing to do with gravity. It
depends only on the distribution of mass of the body.
 Suspend the body at different points and draw vertical line.

Since the body is small enough, the method allows us to determine also its centre of
mass.
❖ What is the analogue of mass in rotational motion?
 Rotational kinetic energy

The moment of inertia about a given axis of rotation resists a change

in its rotational motion, it can be regarded as a measure of rotational
inertia of the body
 MOMENT OF INERTIA

The moment of inertia of a rigid body depends on :

• the mass of the body,
• its shape and size
• distribution of mass about the axis of rotation,
• The position and orientation of the axis of rotation.
The radius of gyration of a body
about an axis may be defined as the
distance from the axis of a mass point
whose mass is equal to the mass of
the whole body and whose moment
of inertia is equal to the moment of
inertia of the body about the axis.
Practical uses of moment of inertia
The machines, such as steam engine and the
automobile engine, etc., that produce rotational
motion have a disc with a large moment of inertia,
called a flywheel. Because of its large moment of
inertia, the flywheel resists the sudden increase or
decrease of the speed of the vehicle. It allows a gradual
change in the speed and prevents jerky motions,
thereby ensuring a smooth ride for the passengers on
the vehicle.
Moments of inertia of some regular shaped bodies
about specific axes
The angular speed of a motor wheel is increased from 1200 rpm to
3120 rpm in 16 seconds.
i) What is its angular acceleration, assuming the acceleration to be
uniform?
ii) How many revolutions does the engine make during this time?
Relation connecting torque and moment of inertia
• In a perfectly rigid body there is no internal motion. The
work done by external torques is goes on to increase the
kinetic energy of the body.
• Thus the rate of work done is equal to the rate of change
of kinetic energy.
A cord of negligible mass is wound
round the rim of a fly wheel of mass 20
kg and radius 20 cm. A steady pull of
25 N is applied on the cord as shown in
figure. The flywheel is mounted on a
horizontal axle with frictionless
bearings.

i) Compute the angular acceleration of

the wheel.
ii) Find the work done by the pull, when
2m of the cord is unwound.
iii) Find also the kinetic energy of the
wheel at this point. Assume that the
wheel starts from rest.
Relation connecting angular momentum and
moment of inertia
Principle of Conservation of Angular momentum
Examples of principle of conservation of angular momentum

• When we stretch hand angular

speed is reduced (moment of
inertia is increased) and when
hand is closed angular speed is
increased (moment inertia is
decreased)

• A circus acrobat and a diver take

advantage of this principle.

• Also, skaters and classical, Indian

or western, dancers etc , use this
principle.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6PuutIm5
h4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmnkQ2ytlO
8
• https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jmsNvgs5yO0
• https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YBAK9E9FM_M
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjf472A83N
8
 ROLLING MOTION DELETED
• Rolling motion is the combination of translation and rotation.
• All wheels used in transportation have rolling motion.
• When a disc rolls without slipping , at any instant of time the
bottom of the disc which is in contact with the surface is at rest
on the surface
 Kinetic Energy of Rolling Motion

.
A uniform ring and disc have the same radii 0.5m
and mass 10 kg. Calculate the ratio of their
moments of inertia about an axis passing through
their centres and perpendicular to their planes.