Understanding Torque and Inertia: How Does it Affect Motion?

  • Thread starter Thread starter schip666!
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Inertia Torque
AI Thread Summary
Torque is directly related to inertia in that it influences the acceleration of an object, similar to how force relates to mass. To overcome the inertia of a balanced wheel and initiate motion, one must apply sufficient torque to counteract both inertia and friction. The moment of inertia quantifies how much torque is needed to achieve a desired angular acceleration. Ignoring friction, the driving torque determines the acceleration, while friction becomes the limiting factor when the motor's torque is insufficient. Understanding these relationships is crucial for effectively calculating the torque required for motion.
schip666!
Messages
594
Reaction score
0
After all this recent talk of torque and power I figure I can post my stupid question of the week:

How does torque relate to inertia?

Say I have a nice balanced wheel that I want to spin. I can calculate the moment of inertia but I'm too old to remember how to figure out how much torque and/or power I need to over come the inertia (and friction) to get it going. I got stalled here in dimensional analysis:

moment of inertia == kg·m²
energy (joules) == kg·m²/s² (Newton-meters)
torque == joules/radian == kg·m²/s² (same as energy but through X degrees of rotation)
From wiki: A torque of 1 N·m applied through a full revolution will require an energy of exactly 2(pi) joules.

So, now ignoring friction, can I figure that the driving torque just influences the acceleration? And then it's only friction that keeps my wheel from spinning when the motor is too small?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
schip666! said:
How does torque relate to inertia?
The same way as force relates to mass.
 

Thread 'Is calling fictitious forces "not real" just about terminology?'

Hi there, im studying nanoscience at the university in Basel. Today I looked at the topic of intertial and non-inertial reference frames and the existence of fictitious forces. I understand that you call forces real in physics if they appear in interplay. Meaning that a force is real when there is the "actio" partner to the "reactio" partner. If this condition is not satisfied the force is not real. I also understand that if you specifically look at non-inertial reference frames you can...
View full post »

Thread 'Derivation of Hamilton's Principle: Questions'

I have recently been really interested in the derivation of Hamiltons Principle. On my research I found that with the term ##m \cdot \frac{d}{dt} (\frac{dr}{dt} \cdot \delta r) = 0## (1) one may derivate ##\delta \int (T - V) dt = 0## (2). The derivation itself I understood quiet good, but what I don't understand is where the equation (1) came from, because in my research it was just given and not derived from anywhere. Does anybody know where (1) comes from or why from it the...
View full post »

Similar threads

B The physics of flywheel launchers (like tennis ball shooters)
2
Replies
60
Views
4K
I Is it possible to create linear acceleration using nothing but different moments of inertia beteen a wheel and axle?
Replies
5
Views
1K
I Effects of External Torques on the Angular Momentum of Asymmetric Bodies
Replies
3
Views
2K
How Does Moment of Inertia Affect Motor Size Requirements?
Replies
3
Views
4K
Reaction torque in a traction system
Replies
10
Views
2K
B How to Calculate Power and Torque for a 15kg Load at 15 RPM?
Replies
7
Views
2K
I How to transfer angular momentum between two flywheels?
Replies
8
Views
3K
I Understanding Net Internal Torque and Kinetic Friction in a System
Replies
9
Views
2K
I Moment of inertia of human body with limbs at an angle
Replies
12
Views
2K
A Modeling the damping of a physical rigid pendulum
Replies
1
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top