Is torque a necessary defenition?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of torque and its necessity in explaining the rotation of objects. The conservation of energy is also mentioned as a potential conflict with torque. The importance of using a textbook for understanding physics is emphasized, along with the offer of lending books on classical mechanics. The benefits of using radial symmetry and torque in solving problems, particularly in rigid body motion, are also mentioned.
  • #1
TuviaDaCat
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im going mad, is torque necessary? is there no more basic explanation using Newton's laws to explain why two tangent and equal forces(which are in opposite direction along the circle) even values, with different levers would rotate in the direction of the force with the bigger level is pointing at?

i know that if the force with the smaller lever would make it rotate it would violate the conservation of energy, since if the body moved for a certain angle, then the work of the small levered force is smaller than the work of the big levered force(same forces, different lengths along the parameter), therefor the body is supposed to slow down, yet it accelerated up... which is a contradiction to the conservation of energy.

so can torque phenomenons be explained by other means?
 
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  • #2
Can you reword your questions more clearly please? I don't really understand what your asking. :confused:
 
  • #3
Hint: get a good textbook and read.
 
  • #4
torque is really just a useful quantity to define, as it can be frustrating to work through the math related to conservation of energy in any given torque problem, if you want I can help walk you through how to derive torque from first principles, and most importantly why its equal to the quantity F*r (for a basic definition)

first take a look at what units torque is measured in.
 
  • #5
CPL.Luke said:
torque is really just a useful quantity to define, as it can be frustrating to work through the math related to conservation of energy in any given torque problem, if you want I can help walk you through how to derive torque from first principles, and most importantly why its equal to the quantity F*r (for a basic definition)

first take a look at what units torque is measured in.

cool, its good to know that moment is not something as basic as force...
and ill think ill try to develop the equations myself(those using torque), shouldn't be to hard i think...

bah, its quite hard to understand physics without having an organized book, my head is a mass even with the little i know..
 
  • #6
hmm if your not using a book I'm afraid you won't be able to get very far

"the internet is a mile wide, and an inch deep"

-somebody
 
  • #7
CPL.Luke said:
hmm if your not using a book I'm afraid you won't be able to get very far

"the internet is a mile wide, and an inch deep"

-somebody

very true, but in some way it forces me to think more, since it "hides" a lot of information.

i do like being fundamental when learning, though I am not buying a book on mechanics since ill have one in a year when ill do a course in the open university(the books are a part of the course's payment), so it will be a waste to buy a big set of books.
though now i just started reading feynman's lectures on physics, though it aint much fundamental i guess...
 
  • #8
Tuvia, you must have books.

Mods , I'd like to lend Tuvia a couple of books on classical mechanics.
I don't know what the rules say, but you may give him my email address.

M
 
  • #9
Mentz114 said:
Tuvia, you must have books.

Mods , I'd like to lend Tuvia a couple of books on classical mechanics.
I don't know what the rules say, but you may give him my email address.

M

i am very unsure if i understood you... are you talking about ebook(pdf file or something?)
 
  • #10
Since I made that post, I had a look for the books in question ( Schaum "Lagrangian Mechanics" and another called "Classical Mechanics") and I can't find them. So my offer is withdrawn, sorry. They may not have been what you need in any case.

M
 
  • #11
if you have a problem involving radial symmetry, it will be only natural to have torques. For instance, the central force problem. by going radial, you reduces one degree of freedom by noticing that net torque is zero. If you brake the radial force into x,y components, you can still solve the problem but it will be ugly and inelegant.

things become even more complicated when you study rigid body motion. How can you consider x,y components of the intermolecular forces for each individual molecules? If you go to radial symmetry, you can assume that all internal forces are central and that saves a ton of trouble.

And as Radou said, get a good textbook and you will see how the physics is simplified in some problems by considering torque.
 
Last edited:

1. What is torque?

Torque is a measure of the force that can cause an object to rotate about an axis. It is typically measured in units of Newton-meters (N·m) or pound-feet (lb·ft).

2. Why is torque necessary?

Torque is necessary because it helps us understand how forces act on rotational objects. It is also crucial in many practical applications, such as designing engines and calculating the power of machines.

3. How is torque different from force?

Torque and force are closely related but are not the same. While force is a measure of push or pull on an object, torque is a measure of the twisting force that can cause an object to rotate. In other words, torque is a type of force that acts on rotational objects.

4. Can an object have torque without rotating?

Yes, an object can have torque without rotating. This is because torque is dependent not only on the magnitude of the force but also on the distance between the force and the axis of rotation. If the force is applied at a distance of zero from the axis of rotation, there will be no torque and thus no rotation.

5. How is torque measured?

Torque is typically measured using a device called a torque wrench, which applies a known force to an object and measures the amount of torque produced. Torque can also be calculated using the formula T = F x d, where T is torque, F is the applied force, and d is the distance from the axis of rotation to the point where the force is applied.

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