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StephenPrivitera
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How is eccentricity of an orbit affected by the angular momentum of the orbiting body (mathematically, that is)? How does torque affect angular momentum? How is a torque exerted? What is a torque?
Originally posted by StephenPrivitera
How is eccentricity of an orbit affected by the angular momentum of the orbiting body (mathematically, that is)? How does torque affect angular momentum? How is a torque exerted? What is a torque?
Angular momentum is a measure of an object's rotational motion. It is a vector quantity that describes the amount of rotation an object has around a specific axis. It is calculated by multiplying the moment of inertia by the angular velocity.
Angular momentum is conserved in a closed system, meaning that it remains constant unless acted upon by an external torque. This is known as the law of conservation of angular momentum.
Torque is the measure of the force that causes an object to rotate around an axis. It is calculated by multiplying the force applied to the object by the distance from the axis of rotation.
Eccentricity is a measure of how much an object's orbit deviates from a perfect circle. The higher the eccentricity, the more the object's angular momentum changes as it moves around its orbit. This is due to the varying distance from the center of mass to the axis of rotation.
Angular momentum and torque are related through the law of conservation of angular momentum. When an external torque is applied to an object, its angular momentum will change in the same direction as the torque.