What does this paragraph mean?

  • Thread starter Thread starter M. next
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Mean
AI Thread Summary
The discussion explains that components of angular momentum are conserved in systems with spherical symmetry where potential energy depends solely on the radial coordinate. In such cases, like a planet orbiting the Sun, the angular momentum remains constant due to the absence of angular forces. The Lagrangian perspective highlights that the angular degree of freedom is cyclic, meaning it does not change if no forces act upon it. Since the potential energy is only a function of the radial distance, changes in the angular coordinate do not affect the potential energy. This reinforces the concept that in a conservative field with radial forces, angular momentum conservation holds true.
M. next
Messages
380
Reaction score
0
Components of angular momentum are also conserved in the case of a system evolving in an external conservative field with spherical symmetry where the resultant of all forces is radial i.e potential energy of the system depends only on radial coordinate.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
For example, if you have a planet orbiting the Sun (assume the Sun is stationary), then angular momentum of the planet is constant, since the potential energy of gravity is only a function of the distance from the Sun (i.e., it is spherically symmetric).
 
Thanks. that was short and to the point.
 
M. next said:
Components of angular momentum are also conserved in the case of a system evolving in an external conservative field with spherical symmetry where the resultant of all forces is radial i.e potential energy of the system depends only on radial coordinate.

in lagrangian langange it's saying that the angular degree of freedom is cyclic
in physics language it's saying that if there's no force acting on the angular degree of freedom then nothing about the angular degree of freddom will change

remember that force = gradient . potential energy, if the potential energy only depends on the radial coordinate then any change in the angular coordinate will make no change in the potential energy, so there is no 'angular forces'.
 
Thread 'Question about pressure of a liquid'
I am looking at pressure in liquids and I am testing my idea. The vertical tube is 100m, the contraption is filled with water. The vertical tube is very thin(maybe 1mm^2 cross section). The area of the base is ~100m^2. Will he top half be launched in the air if suddenly it cracked?- assuming its light enough. I want to test my idea that if I had a thin long ruber tube that I lifted up, then the pressure at "red lines" will be high and that the $force = pressure * area$ would be massive...
I feel it should be solvable we just need to find a perfect pattern, and there will be a general pattern since the forces acting are based on a single function, so..... you can't actually say it is unsolvable right? Cause imaging 3 bodies actually existed somwhere in this universe then nature isn't gonna wait till we predict it! And yea I have checked in many places that tiny changes cause large changes so it becomes chaos........ but still I just can't accept that it is impossible to solve...
Back
Top