If there is a stick in space and you provide an impulse on one end of the stick, then will it rotate or will it simply undergo translational motion in a straight line?
If you have the stick on Earth on top of a surface then it will rotate about its centre of mass which acts as the pivot...
Ah of course, I'd read the equation wrongly. I thought that the gamma was within the division which it isn't. Now it makes perfect sense! I blame poor equation writing (obviously not my failure to count the number of brackets).
Thanks for the help!
Ok, there's a bit I don't understand in my lecture notes. The maths doesn't seem to quite work out. Any help would be appreciated.
Here's the section I'm confused about:
http://img228.imageshack.us/i/physy.jpg/
It's the transition from the second last line of working to the last line which I...