What is torque and how does it affect the motion of objects?

  • Thread starter Thread starter member 529879
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Torque
AI Thread Summary
Torque is defined as a moment that causes rotational motion in objects, and it is influenced by the point of force application relative to the center of mass. When a force of 10N is applied to a 10kg block away from its center of mass, the block does not necessarily experience linear acceleration less than 1m/s². The discussion raises questions about whether pushing a block at its center of mass requires the same energy as pushing it elsewhere, highlighting that more work is done if the same force is applied over a greater distance. The concept of "harder to push" is subjective and requires clarification. Understanding these principles is crucial for analyzing motion and energy in physics.
member 529879
What exactly is torque? Also if a force of 10N was applied to a 10kg block in a location that is not at its center of mass, does the block have a linear acceleration less than 1m/s/s?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Torque is the same as a moment. Do you understand what a moment is?
 
Scheuerf said:
What exactly is torque?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque
Scheuerf said:
Also if a force of 10N was applied to a 10kg block in a location that is not at its center of mass, does the block have a linear acceleration less than 1m/s/s?
No.
 
Okay so if you have two situations where you push a 10kg block each with the same force, but only one is being pushed at its center of mass, they should require the same force to accelerate. But does one situation require more energy than the other, and is one block harder to push?
 

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 'Inclined treadmills and Galilean Invariance'

This has been discussed many times on PF, and will likely come up again, so the video might come handy. Previous threads: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/is-a-treadmill-incline-just-a-marketing-gimmick.937725/ https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/work-done-running-on-an-inclined-treadmill.927825/ https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/how-do-we-calculate-the-energy-we-used-to-do-something.1052162/
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

I What is the Purpose of Torque?
Replies
7
Views
2K
B Non-physicist needs your help torquing a nut!
Replies
9
Views
1K
I Effects of External Torques on the Angular Momentum of Asymmetric Bodies
Replies
3
Views
2K
B Static friction needed for rolling without slipping
Replies
4
Views
2K
What makes a door move, the torque or the force or both?
2
Replies
52
Views
6K
B The physics of flywheel launchers (like tennis ball shooters)
2
Replies
60
Views
4K
A Modeling the damping of a physical rigid pendulum
Replies
1
Views
2K
I Writing an equation for torque around an arbitrary point on a body
Replies
6
Views
894
Reaction torque in a traction system
Replies
10
Views
2K
Who Can Solve the Mystery of the True Torque?
Replies
16
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top