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kashiark
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The title states it all.
Angular momentum is a property of objects like mass. An object can have one of an infinite number of possible angular momentums, but zero is only one of those numbers. So the odds of finding a complex system with zero angular momentum are extremely small.kashiark said:What is the origin of angular momentum in the universe?
An object only has one of a possible infinite number of angular momentum values. What the actual value is is essentially random, just like the mass of a random cloud of gas and dust is essentially random.kashiark said:How can an object have an infinite number of possible angular momentum values?
This has nothing to do with the quantum mechanics phenomena of "spin".kashiark said:So you're saying that an object's angular momentum is dependent on its constitutes? Is it the combination of the spin of all of the particles that compose the object? If so, how does an object start spinning? I can start spinning in circles right now without altering my composition(at least to a significant degree.)
I've been giving short answers because there really isn't much to say about the issue!D H said:I strongly suggest you do a tiny bit of research of your own on this topic. Google the phrase "why do planets rotate on their axes". Read up on the subject, then ask questions. The reason you have been getting curt answers is because the answer to your question is freely available on the web. If you still have questions after doing just the tiniest bit of work on your own we will be glad to help.
Planets rotate on their axes due to the conservation of angular momentum. This means that as the planets formed from a spinning disk of gas and dust, they inherited the rotational motion of the disk and continue to spin as they orbit the sun.
The initial rotation of the disk of gas and dust that formed the planets is responsible for their uniform direction of rotation. As the disk collapsed to form the planets, the particles within it all had a similar angular momentum, resulting in the planets rotating in the same direction.
No, the speed of rotation varies among planets. The inner planets, such as Mercury and Venus, rotate slowly, while the gas giants, like Jupiter and Saturn, rotate much faster. This is due to differences in their mass and composition.
Yes, it is possible for planets to change their rotation direction through external forces, such as a collision with another object. However, this is a rare occurrence and most planets maintain their original direction of rotation.
No, some planets experience changes in their rotational speed due to tidal forces from their moons or gravitational interactions with other planets. For example, Earth's rotation is gradually slowing down due to the moon's gravitational pull.