Mechanics

Physics 151
Lecture 9
Rigid Body Motion
(Chapter 4, 5)
What We Did Last Time
Discussed 3-dimensional rotation
Preparation for rigid body motion
Movement in 3-d + Rotation in 3-d = 6 coordinates
Looked for ways to describe 3-d rotation
Euler anglesone of the many possibilities
Eulers theorem
Defined infinitesimal rotation d
Commutative (unlike finite rotation)
Behaves as an axial vector (like angular momentum)
d d = r r
d d = n
Goals For Today
Time derivatives in rotating coordinate system
To calculate velocities and accelerations
Coriolis effect
Express angular velocity using Euler angles
Try to write down Lagrangian for rigid body
Separate rotation from movement of CoM
Define inertia tensor
Will almost get to the equation of motion
Body Coordinates
Consider a rotating rigid body
Define body coordinates(x, y, z)
Between t and t + dt, the body
coordinates rotate by
The direction is CCWbecause we
are talking about the coordinate axes
Observed in the space coordinates,
any point r on the body moves by
x
x

y
y

z
z

d d d = = r n r r
n
r
dr
d
d d = n
Sign opposite from last lecture
because the rotation is CCW
General Vectors
Now consider a general vector G
How does it move in space/body coordinates?
i.e. whats the time derivative dG/dt ?
Movement dG differs in space and body coordinates
because of the rotation of the latter
If G is fixed to the body
( ) ( ) ( )
space body rot
d d d = + G G G
Difference is due to rotation
( )
body
0 d = G
( )
space
d d = G G
and
( )
rot
d d = G G
Generally true
Angular Velocity
For any vector G
= instantaneous angular velocity
Direction = n = instantaneous axis of rotation
Magnitude = d/dt = instantaneous rate of rotation
Since this works for any vector, we can say
( ) ( )
space body
d d d = + G G G
space body
d d
dt dt

= +


G G
G dt d d = = n
s r
d d
dt dt

= +



space coordinates rotating coordinates
Coriolis Effect
Imagine a particle observed in a rotating system
e.g. watching an objects motion on Earth
Velocity:
Acceleration:
Newtons equation works in the space (inertial) system,
i.e.
s r
d d
dt dt

= +



s r
= + v v r
2 ( )
s s
s s
s r
r r
d d
dt dt

= = +


= + +
v v
a v
a v r
s
m = F a
eff
2 ( ) ( )
r r
m m m = = a F F v r
Object appears to move according to this force
Coriolis Effect
Last term is centrifugal force
Middle termis Coriolis effect
Occurs when object is moving in the
rotating frame
Moving objects on Earth appears to deflect toward right in
the northern hemisphere
Hurricane wind pattern
Foucault pendulum
eff
2 ( ) ( )
r r
m m m = = a F F v r

r
v
r
v
L
Coriolis Effect
Free-falling particle
Drop a ball and ignore air resistance
Coriolis effect is
Pointing east (out of screen) x axis
Ignoring the centrifugal force
For sin = 1 and z = 100 m x = 2.2 cm

v
2 ( ) m v
z
2 sin
z
mx m v
mz mg
=

3 2
sin
,
3 2
gt gt
x z

= =
3
sin ( 2 )
3
z
x
g

=
Euler Angles
Use angular velocity to calculate particles velocities
Use Euler angles to describe the rotation of rigid bodies
How are they connected?
Infinitesimal rotations can be added like vectors
z
x
y

z
x
y

z
x
y
z

z z

= + + n n n


z
n

n
z
n
Euler Angles
Lets express in x-y-z
Doing this in x-y-z equally easy (or difficult)
Must express n
z
, n

, n
z
in x-y-z
n
z
An
z
, n

Bn

(n
z
is OK)
z
x
y

z
x
y

z
x
y
z

z
n

n
z
n
D C B
Euler Angles
From the last lecture
cos sin 0
sin cos 0
0 0 1




=



D
1 0 0
0 cos sin
0 sin cos




=

C
cos sin 0
sin cos 0
0 0 1




=



B
cos cos cos sin sin cos sin cos cos sin sin sin
sin cos cos sin cos sin sin cos cos cos cos sin
sin sin sin cos cos



+


= +

A
0 sin sin
0 cos sin
1 cos
z

= =



n A
1 cos
0 sin
0 0

= =



n B
0
0
1
z


=



n
Euler Angles
Remember: this is in the x-y-z system
Now we know how to express velocities in terms of
time-derivatives of Euler angles
We can write down the Lagrangian
sin sin cos
cos sin sin
cos
z z

+

= + + =


+

n n n

Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy of multi-particle system is
If we define the body axis from the center of mass
T depends only on the angular velocity
Must be a 2
nd
order homogeneous function
2 2
1 1
2 2
i i
T Mv mv

= +
Motion of CoM Motion around CoM
2 2 2
1
( ) ( , , )
2
T M x y z T

= + + +


Remember Einstein convention
Potential Energy
Potential energy can often be separated as well
Uniform gravity g
Uniform magnetic field B and magnetic dipole moment M
Lagrangian can then be written as
1 2
( , , ) ( , , ) V V x y z V = +
1
V = g r
2
V = M B
( , , , , , ) ( , , , , , )
t r
L L x y z x y z L = +


Translational Rotational
It is often possible to separate the translational and rotational motions by
taking the center of mass as the origin of the body coordinate axes
Rotational Motion
We concentrate on the rotational part
Translational part same as a single particle Easy
Consider total angular momentum
v
i
is given by the rotation as
i i i
m = L r v
i i
= v r
2 2
2 2 2
2 2
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
i i i
i i i i i i i i i
i i i i i i i i i i i i i
i i i i i i i i i
m
m r x m x y m x z
m r m y x m r y m y z
m z x m z y m r z
=




= =




L r r
r r
Inertia tensor I
Inertia Tensor
Diagonal components are familiar
moment of inertia
What are the off-diagonal components?
I
yx
produces L
y
when the object is turned around x axis
Imagine turning something like:
2 2 2 2
( ) sin
xx i i i i i
I m r x m r = =
x
r

Balanced Unbalanced
Unbalanced one has non-zero
off-diagonal components,
which represents wobbliness
of rotation
Inertia Tensor
Using
We can also deal with continuous mass distribution (r)
1 2 3
( , , ) ( , , )
i i i i i i
x y z x x x
2 2
2 2
2 2
( )
( )
( )
i i i i i i i i i
i i i i i i i i i
i i i i i i i i i
m r x m x y m x z
m y x m r y m y z
m z x m z y m r z



=




I
( )
2
( )
jk jk j k
I r x x d =

r r
( )
2
jk i i jk ij ik
I m r x x =
Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy due to rotation is
Using
Using
Defining n as the unit vector in the direction of
NB: n moves with time
I = I(t) must change accordingly with time
1
2
i i i
T m = v v
i i
= v r
1
( ) ( )
2 2 2
i i i i i i
T m m = = =

v r r v L
= L I
2
T

=
I
2 2
1
2 2
T I

= =
n In
where
2 2
( )
i i i
I m r

= =

n In r n
Moment of inertia about axis n
( )
2
jk i i jk ij ik
I m r x x =
= n
Shifting Origin
Origin of body axes does not have to be at the CoM
Its convenient Separates translational/rotational motion
If it isnt, I can be easily translated
i i

= + r R r
from origin from CoM
2 2
2 2
( ) [( ) ]
( ) ( ) 2 ( ) ( )
i i i i
i i i i
I m m
M m m

= = +

= + +
r n R r n
R n r n R n r n
I from CoM I of CoM
Summary
Found the velocity due to rotation
Used it to find Coriolis effect
Connected with the Euler angles
Lagrangian translational and rotational parts
Often possible if body axes are defined from the CoM
Defined the inertia tensor
Calculated angular momentum
and kinetic energy
Next: Equation of motion (finally!)
s r
d d
dt dt

= +



( )
2
i i jk ij ik
m r x x = I
= L I
2 2
1
2 2
T I = =
nIn