- #1
aeromrk
- 1
- 0
When I took classical mechanics we were given definitions for an
object's moment of inertia, which I understand to be a scalar quantity that
describes that objects tendency to resist rotation about a fixed axis either
about, or some distance from its center of mass.
I was recently reading about how an object's moment of inertia can also be described as a tensor quantity when the axis of rotation is not fixed, but arbitrary.
I have not had much experience with tensors, the extent of my knowledge is mostly conceptual at this point, so I will not be able to decipher the math, however, I was hoping somebody could give me a more conceptual description of what this means, specifically rotation about an arbitrary axis, I'm have a hard time wrapping my head around that. Anybody have an example?
Cheers
object's moment of inertia, which I understand to be a scalar quantity that
describes that objects tendency to resist rotation about a fixed axis either
about, or some distance from its center of mass.
I was recently reading about how an object's moment of inertia can also be described as a tensor quantity when the axis of rotation is not fixed, but arbitrary.
I have not had much experience with tensors, the extent of my knowledge is mostly conceptual at this point, so I will not be able to decipher the math, however, I was hoping somebody could give me a more conceptual description of what this means, specifically rotation about an arbitrary axis, I'm have a hard time wrapping my head around that. Anybody have an example?
Cheers