The discussion clarifies the distinction between center of mass acceleration and angular acceleration in the context of a spinning uniform disk. When a force is applied to initiate spinning, the angular acceleration is non-zero, while the center of mass acceleration remains zero if the disk does not translate. This indicates that additional forces must be acting on the disk, resulting in a net force of zero on the center of mass. Examples are provided to explore scenarios involving forces applied at the center of mass and opposing forces on the disk.
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BadSkittles said:Hello, can someone explain to me what is the difference between center mass acceleration and angular acceleration? If i have an uniform disk laying still, then i give it a force to make it spin while it stays put. The angular acceleration obviously has a number. What about the acceleration of the center mass? Would this be zero since it is not moving?