HL IB Physics Rigid Body Mechanics - Vocabulary Flashcards

These flashcards cover important vocabulary and definitions related to Rigid Body Mechanics concepts in HL IB Physics.

Torque

A measure of the force that can cause an object to rotate about an axis.

Couple

A pair of equal and opposite forces that cause rotation without translation.

Moment of a Force

The turning effect of a force around a pivot, calculated as Force multiplied by perpendicular distance from the pivot.

Rotational Equilibrium

A condition where the sum of the forces and the sum of the torques acting on a system are both zero.

Angular Displacement

The change in angle through which a rigid body has rotated relative to a fixed point, measured in radians.

Angular Velocity

The rate of change of angular displacement with respect to time, measured in rad/s.

Angular Acceleration

The rate of change of angular velocity with respect to time, measured in rad/s².

Moment of Inertia

The resistance of a body to change its state of rotational motion, dependent on the mass distribution relative to the axis of rotation.

Newton’s Second Law for Rotation

States that the torque required to give an object an angular acceleration is proportional to its moment of inertia.

Angular Momentum

The rotational equivalent of linear momentum, defined as the product of moment of inertia and angular velocity.

Angular Impulse

A change in angular momentum resulting from a torque applied over a certain time period.

Rotational Kinetic Energy

The energy of a rotating body, calculated as 1/2 times the moment of inertia multiplied by the square of the angular velocity.

Rolling without slipping

A motion where the point of contact between a rolling object and the surface is momentarily at rest.

Conservation of Angular Momentum

The principle stating that the total angular momentum of a closed system remains constant if no external torque acts on it.