B What is physical significance of the direction of angular velocity?

AI Thread Summary
The direction of angular velocity and torque is determined by the right-hand thumb rule, indicating it is perpendicular to the rotational plane. This direction signifies the orientation of the rotational axis or plane, serving as a normal vector. While the convention of using the right-hand rule may seem arbitrary, it becomes essential in complex scenarios involving multiple axes of rotation. Understanding this direction aids in analyzing situations where angular velocity and torque interact, such as opposing rotational accelerations or changes in angular momentum. The discussion highlights the importance of directionality in rotational dynamics for accurate physical interpretations.
mdcreator
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
This question has been bugging me for quite a while, That what do we mean by direction of angular velocity or torque. As we know that the direction of angular velocity or torque even is determined by right hand thumb rule, and it come out to be perpendicular to the rotational plane. So my question is what does this direction signify? Specifically what does it signify physically?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
mdcreator said:
... it come out to be perpendicular to the rotational plane. So my question is what does this direction signify?
You have just answered your own question: It describes the orientation of the rotational plane (as its normal) or of the rotational axis (as its parallel).

However, this still gives you two possible vector orientations which represent two rotation directions in that plane. The correspondence here is an arbitrary convention, and has no physical reason. We could have just as well agreed to using the left hand rule.
 
Last edited:
Welcome, @mdcreator !

At first glance, the convention may seem to be useless for rotational velocity and torque of a disc, but it helps when things get more complicated.

Examples:
In cases where applied moment induces a opposite rotational acceleration that is retarding the angular velocity.

Estimating the combined direction of angular velocity or torque of the above rotating disc which begins to simultaneously rotate about another axis and at a different rate.

Estimating the combined direction of changes of angular acceleration and angular momentum.

Please, see:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-osuniversityphysics/chapter/10-1-rotational-variables/

CNX_UPhysics_10_01_AngAccVec.jpg
 
  • Like
Likes mdcreator and WWGD
The rope is tied into the person (the load of 200 pounds) and the rope goes up from the person to a fixed pulley and back down to his hands. He hauls the rope to suspend himself in the air. What is the mechanical advantage of the system? The person will indeed only have to lift half of his body weight (roughly 100 pounds) because he now lessened the load by that same amount. This APPEARS to be a 2:1 because he can hold himself with half the force, but my question is: is that mechanical...
Some physics textbook writer told me that Newton's first law applies only on bodies that feel no interactions at all. He said that if a body is on rest or moves in constant velocity, there is no external force acting on it. But I have heard another form of the law that says the net force acting on a body must be zero. This means there is interactions involved after all. So which one is correct?
Let there be a person in a not yet optimally designed sled at h meters in height. Let this sled free fall but user can steer by tilting their body weight in the sled or by optimal sled shape design point it in some horizontal direction where it is wanted to go - in any horizontal direction but once picked fixed. How to calculate horizontal distance d achievable as function of height h. Thus what is f(h) = d. Put another way, imagine a helicopter rises to a height h, but then shuts off all...
Back
Top