Friday, July 29, 2016

torque - Component of angular momentum perpendicular to the rotation axis in rigid body rotation


I have difficulties in understanding, in the rotation of a rigid body, the properties of the component of the angular momentum vector $ \vec {L} $ which is perpendicular to the fixed axis of rotation $ z $. I will call this component $ \vec {L_n } $. Suppose that the angular velocity $ \Omega $ is constant in direction but can vary in magnitude.


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$ | \vec {L_ {n, i}} | = m_i r_i R_i \Omega cos \theta_i \implies | \vec {L_n} | = \Omega \sum m_i r_i R_i cos \theta_i$


Can I therefore say that $ | \vec {L_n} | \propto | \vec {\Omega} | $ (1)?



If so, suppose to apply a torque perpendicular to the $z$ axis and parallel to $ \vec {L_n} $, so that the magnitude of this vector increases. Follows from (1) that there should be an angular acceleration $ \vec {\alpha} $, although we are in the absence of a torque with an axial component.


This would go against the fact that $ I_z \vec {\alpha} = \vec { M_z}$ (Where $I_z $ is the moment of inertia with respect to the $z$ axis and $ M_z $ is the axial component of the exerted torque).




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