How Does Object Collision Work in Space?

[OneCookie]

Should an object for argument sake a cube be traveling in space at a stable rotation, if a small object traveling at a high velocity collided with the edge of the cube enough so that on Earth if fastened the cube would spin. in space however would this object spin/rotate in a single position or move awkwardly in a almost random direction. If so would the actions of the collision work when the small object colliding with the cube remains the same size yet the cube is 100x its size.

Random debate between friends, however neither of us have the knowledge required to actively agree with certainty on any particular point. if it requires any more explanation please let me know.

 

[D H]

The object is a cube, so it presumably has a scalar inertia tensor. The behavior for such an object is rather uninteresting. If on the other hand the spaceship was a book (three different principal moments of inertia) the behavior is quite complex. Now you can get into a situation where angular velocity and angular momentum point in different directions. The object will exhibit all kinds of weird behavior. Angular momentum will still be constant, but angular velocity is not. As Goldstein put it, "The polhode rolls without slipping on the herpolhode lying in the invariable plane."

 

[solar71]

The object (large cube) in space if hit on its edge would not spin in any sort of uniform fashion.
Because its central axis is not tethered to any stationary object.
In 99.999% of instances the large cube would wobble about all over the place. But if you could hit the cube very very precisely you could get it to spin without wobbling, BUT it would drift ever so slightly.

 

[D H]

The object (large cube) in space if hit on its edge would not spin in any sort of uniform fashion.

A cube will do just that. You need at least one of the principle moments of inertia to differ from the other two to get any kind of interesting motion. But even then it won't be that interesting. Things only get really interesting when all three principal moments of inertia are different from one another.

The wobbling results from the $(\mathbf I \vec{\omega})\times \vec{\omega}$ term in the torque-free equations of motion for a rigid body.

 

[pmacias]

I can provide some insights on the potential outcomes of such a scenario. First, it is important to note that objects in space do not experience friction or resistance like they do on Earth. This means that the collision between the small object and the cube would not cause the cube to spin in the same way it would on Earth.

Instead, the collision would likely result in a transfer of momentum between the two objects. This means that the small object would likely change its direction and velocity, while the cube may experience a slight change in its rotation or orbit. However, the exact outcome would depend on the mass and velocity of both objects, as well as the angle of collision.

In terms of the size difference between the two objects, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the outcome of the collision. As long as the small object maintains its high velocity, it would still transfer a significant amount of momentum to the cube, regardless of its size.

Overall, the exact behavior of the objects after the collision would be difficult to predict without specific details and calculations. However, it is safe to say that the collision would not result in the cube spinning in a single position or moving randomly. Instead, it would likely result in a combination of changes in direction and momentum for both objects.