How Do You Calculate Rotational Velocity from Linear Forces in Game Physics?

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To calculate rotational velocity from linear forces in a physics-based game, one must understand the concepts of torque and moments. The torque generated by a force is determined by the force's magnitude, the distance from the pivot point, and the angle at which the force is applied. The rotational velocity can be derived from the angular acceleration, which is the torque divided by the moment of inertia of the object. It's essential to consider the position of the pivot point, as it affects the torque calculation. Understanding these principles will help in implementing a flipper mechanism similar to that in a pinball machine.
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Hi everyone - I'm really sorry if this is in the wrong place or something, not sure where it should go!

I'm a programmer and am writing a simple physics based game. I'm utilizing an already-made, open source physics engine which handles all the collisions and interactions - I wouldn't know where to start writing my own! I've made a few edits and additions to add some features I need, but this one's got me confused.

Basically I want a flipper type mechanism (ie, pinball machine) and therefore basically need to be able to take the linear accelerations / forces acting on the object (including gravity!) and transform them into rotational velocity about a given pivot point on the object. I did A-level physics and am aware of moments and torque, but never really understood them at the time (I had trouble with the entire "Forces and Motion" paper, to be honest), and I also don't think there's any allowance for position of the pivot point other than the distance from the force acting, which doesn't seem right to me.

I've googled this a while but wasn't really sure what I was looking for, so hopefully someone can tell me I'm a fool and reiterate the moment equations, or explain otherwise!
Thanks people!
 
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are you asking about like a rod hanging by one end?

how to model the motion of it due to gravity or other forces?
 

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