Equation of Motion of a

Rigid Body
L and are measured with
respect to a point O at rest in an
inertial system of reference

Example (Problem #93, Chapter 10)

Equation of Motion of a
Rigid Body

EXAMPLE
Two interacting disks
A 20 cm diameter, 2.0 Kg disk is rotating at 200 rpm.
Another 20 cm diameter, 1.0 kg circular loop is dropped straight
down onto the rotating disk. Friction causes the loop to accelerate
until it is riding on the disk.
What is the angular velocity of the combined system?

1.0 kg

2.0 kg

The friction between the objects create torques that speed up the
loop and slow down the disk.
But these torques are internal to the combined disk + Loop
system. So the total external torque is zero and L should
conserve.
Consequently, Lbefore = Lafter
Lbefore = Idisk before
Lafter = Idisk after + Ioop after
after rpm

EXAMPLE
Angular momentum and elastic collision
A cube of mass m slides without friction at speed vo. It undergoes a
perfectly elastic collision with the bottom tip of a rod of length d
and mass M = 2m.
The rod is pivoted about a frictionless axle through its center, and
initially it hangs straight down and is at rest.
What is the velocity of the cube (both speed and direction) after the
collision.
Frictionless
. axle .

M
d

vo

Solution
Lets treat the system M + m as an isolated system.
Accordingly, the total angular momentum must conserve.
(1)
Lbefore = m (d/2) vo
Right after the collision, the bar will have acquired an angular
velocity , and the block will have a velocity v (to be
determined.)
Lafter = m (d/2) v + I

In this case, I is the momentum of inertia of the bar calculated

with respect an axis passing through its center of mass;
accordingly I = (1/12) Md2,
Lafter = m (d/2) v + [(1/12) Md2 ]
M = 2m
Lafter = m (d/2) v + [ (1/6) md2 ]

(2)

Conservation of the angular momentum implies:

Lbefore = Lafter
m (d/2) vo = m (d/2) v + (1/6) md2

d vo = d v + (1/3)d2
vo =

v + (1/3)d

We do not know v neither .

The condition of perfectly elastic collision implies,
Kbefore = Kafter
(1/2) mvo2 = (1/2) mv2 + (1/2) I 2
mvo2 = mv2 +
M = 2m implies,

[(1/12) Md2 ] 2

vo2 = v2 +

[(1/6) d2 ] 2

(4)

From (3) and (4) we should be able to find v and .

From (4): (vo +v ) (vo - v ) = (1/6) d2 2
vo - v = (1/3)d

From (4):

Dividing the last two expressions gives, (vo +v ) = (1/2) d , or

2 (vo +v ) = d

Expression (3) can be re-written as,

3 (vo v) = d

From (5) and (6)

2 (vo +v ) = 3 (vo v)
5v = vo
v = vo / 5

(7)

In passing, we can calculate the angular velocity of the rod after

the collision. From (5) and (7),
2 [vo +( vo / 5 ) ] = d
2 (6/5)vo = d

= (12/5) vo / d

EXAMPLE
A cube of mass m slides without friction at speed vo. It undergoes
a perfectly elastic collision with the bottom tip of a rod of length d
and mass M = 2m. The rod is pivoted about a frictional axle
through its center, and initially it hangs straight down and is at rest.
What is the velocity of the cube (both speed and direction) after the
collision.
M
d
m

vo

Solution
Lets treat the system M + m as an isolated system.
Accordingly, the total angular momentum must conserve.
Lbefore = m (d/2) vo

(1)

Right after the collision, the bar will have acquired an angular
velocity , and the block will have a velocity v (to be
determined.)
Lafter = m (d/2) v + I

Lafter = m (d/2) v + (1/12) Md2

M = 2m
Lafter = m (d/2) v + (1/6) md2

(2)

Conservation of the angular momentum implies:

Lbefore = Lafter
m (d/2) vo = m (d/2) v + (1/6) md2

d vo = d v + (1/3)d2
vo =

v + (1/3)d

The condition of perfectly elastic collision implies,

(1/2) mvo2 = (1/2) mvo2 + (1/2) I 2
.