Dynamics of rigid bodies

A rigid body is a system of particles whose

relative distances are kept constant during the
motion the total number of degrees of freedom
is much more less than 3 times the number of
particles. A rigid body has 6 degrees of freedom:
- 3 for rotation and 3 for translation.

vi ri VCM

Li ri , vi

vi ri

angular velocity

only for rotation

vi ri sin i Ri

Li ri pi mi ri vi , Li mi ri vi , (ri vi )
- angular momentum with respect to the origin O
A rigid body that is constrained to
rotate, with the angular velocity ,
about an axis Oz

Liz mi ri vi cos i mi ri vi sin i mi Ri2

2

- the z-component

The angular momentum of the object

Usually L is not parallel with

L Li mi ri vi
i

The z-component Lz of the angular momentum

L z Liz mi Ri
i
i

- the angular momentum about the axis of rotation Oz

I z mi Ri2

rotational inertia about Oz moment de interie (ro)

Lz I z
From

I z mi Ri2
i

- we can assume a continuous mass distribution

I z r 2 dm r 2 dV
V

I z r 2 dV
V

Iz depends on the geometrical properties of the object

We can choose a set of three orthogonal axes, named principal axes of inertia
- X0, Y0, Z0 principal axes of inertia for which
- principal moments of inertia:

L ||

I1 , I2 , I 3

Calculation of the rotational inertia for a solid cylinder

LI
I1

I 0
0

0
I2
0

0
I 3

- We are using cylindrical coordinates, r, , z:

dS r d dr

dV dS dz

Iz

h
2 R 2

2
r
rddrdz

h0 0
2

R2 1
I z hR
MR 2
2
2
2

- x or y-axis:

Ix Iy

1
1
MR 2 Mh 2
4
12

The rotational inertia of a rectangular plate about Z axis

I z r 2 dV , r 2 x 2 y 2 , dV dx dy dz

c
2

Iz

b
2

a
2

c b a

2 2 2

y dx d y dz
2

Iz

1
1
abc a 2 b 2 M a 2 b 2
12
12

Central axis of disk

Disk with a hole

Hoop

Rectangular plate

http://www.livephysics.com/tables-of-physical-data/mechanical/moment-of-inertia.html

The Steiner theorem for parallel rotational axis

I I C Ma

IC is the rotational inertia of the body about an axis

which is parallel to and passes trough the centre
of mass C.M.

The fundamental equation of the rotational movement of the rigid body

L Li
e d
M L
i

e
dt
e
is the net torque due to external forces that
M Mi
i

d I e
M
dt

If

M 0

act on the body

If I=constant

L I const.

e
d
I
M
dt
e
IM

const.

- angular acceleration

technical applications

- conservation of the angular momentum for the rigid body

- the skater which is

rotating

The total kinetic energy of the rigid body

vi Ri ,

Ti

1
mi vi2
2

- the kinetic energy of particle i

-the total kinetic energy for the rotational movement:

Trot

1
1
1

2
mi Ri mi Ri2 2 I 2 or
2 i
2 i
2

WCM

Trot

L2

2I

1
2
M VCM
- the kinetic energy for the translational movement
2

1
1
2
T M VCM I 2
2
2

- the total kinetic energy

Technical application: the flywheel (volant ro) - is a mechanical

device with a significant moment of inertia used as a storage device
for rotational energy.

The Gyroscope
The gyroscope effect was discovered in 1817 by Johann Bohnenberger
1852 - Lon Foucault an experiment involving the rotation of the Earth.
Foucault's experiment to see (skopeein, to see) the Earth's rotation (gyros,
circle or rotation) was unsuccessful due to friction, which effectively limited
each trial to 8 to 10 minutes
- electric motors made the concept feasible, leading to the first prototype
gyrocompasses; the first functional marine gyrocompass was developed
between 1905 and 1908 by German inventor Hermann Anschtz-Kaempfe.
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based
on the principle of conservation of angular momentum.
The device, once spinning, tends to resist
changes to its orientation due to the angular
momentum of the wheel. In physics this
phenomenon is also known as gyroscopic
inertia or rigidity in space.

A gyroscope in operation with

freedom in all three axes

The Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the

first demonstration of the Earth's rotation
that did not involve celestial observations,

- if the gyroscope's spin slows down (for

example, due to friction), its angular
momentum decreases and the rate of
precession increases why?
Precession on a gyroscope

Properties of the Gyroscope

Gyroscopes can be used to construct gyrocompasses which complement or
replace magnetic compasses (in ships, aircraft and spacecraft, vehicles in
general), to assist in stability (bicycle, Hubble Space Telescope, ships, vehicles
in general) or be used as part of an Inertial guidance system. Gyroscopic
effects are used in toys like yo-yos and Powerballs. Many other rotating
devices, such as flywheels, behave gyroscopically although the gyroscopic effect
is not used
The fundamental equation describing the behaviour of the gyroscope

dL d I

I
dt
dt

If M e due to an external force is applied perpendicular to the axis of rotation

results in a motion perpendicular to L

Me L

dL d I
dL M e dt
Me

dt
dt

- velocity of precession
Because M e L dL L and L M e

L is changing his direction but not his modulus (=ct.) precession

A freeware application for graphical representations

Graph 4.4.2 http://www.padowan.dk/
Graph is an open source application

A simple example