8.

4 Torque

We began this course with chapters on kinematics, the

description of motion without asking about its causes.
Torque
We then found that forces cause motion, and used
Rotational Dynamics Newtons laws to study dynamics, the study of forces and
motion.
Problem-Solving In chapter 8 we have a deceptively brief section on
angular kinematics. It is brief because we already
learned how to solve such problems in chapters 2 and 3.

Whats next?
kinematics dynamics
rotational kinematics rotational dynamics
The rotational analog of force is torque.

Consider two equal and opposite forces acting at the Consider two equal and opposite forces acting on a
center of mass of a stationary meter stick. stationary meter stick.

F F

F F
Does the meter stick move?
Does the meter stick move?
Fext = macm = 0 so acm = 0. Fext = macm = 0 so acm = 0.

The center of mass of the meter stick does not

accelerate, so it does not undergo translational motion.
However, the meter stick would begin to rotate about its
center of mass.

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A torque is produced by a force Lets apply a force to a rod
acting on an extended (not and see how we get a torque.
pointlike) object. First apply the force.
F
The torque depends on how strong You need to choose an axis of +
the force is, and where it acts on O rotation. Usually there will be a O
the object. smart choice. Label it with a
point (or line) and an O.
You must always specify your reference axis for
calculation of torque. By convention, we indicate that Choose the direction of rotation
axis with the letter O and a dot. that you want to correspond to
positive torque.*
Torques cause changes in rotational motion. F
Label the positive direction with a
Torque is a vector. It is not a force,* but is related to curved arrow and a + sign! Do this
force. around the point labeled O.
*So never set a force equal to a torque! *Traditionally, the counterclockwise direction is chosen to be
positive. You are free to choose otherwise.

Draw a vector from the origin Important: is the angle

to the tail of the force vector.
between R and F.
Give it a name (typically R).

Label the angle between R Slide R and F around until

+ their tails touch. is the +
and F (you may have to O O
angle between them.
slide the vectors around
to see this angle). R F R

The symbol for torque is the R
Greek letter tau (). The
magnitude of the torque due
to F is RF sin. F F
Between means go from R to F.
Look at your diagram and determine if the torque would This is the correct
Dont be fooled by a problem which angle between.
cause a + or a rotation (according to your choice of +).
gives an angle not between the Watch out for diagrams
In this case, the rotation would be -, so z=-RF sin. containing some other
vectors! (Example coming soon.)
angle!

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 There are other ways to find the
In this diagram, which is the angle between R and F?
torque.

Often it is easy to visualize F,

F the component of F which is +
perpendicular to R. O
R
? The magnitude of the torque R
R due to F is RF, and in this case
NO! z=-RF. (Note F=F sin.) F

Sometimes it is easier to
There are two choices for the angle between R and F. visualize R, the component of R F
which is perpendicular to F.
Because sin()=-sin(-), either choice will give you the
correct answer (switch direction of + rotation and
The magnitude of the torque due to F is RF, and in this
switch sign on sine gives no net switch in sign).
case z=-RF. (Note R=R sin.)

Summarizing: Important reminder: label the point O about which your

torques are calculated and draw a curved arrow around it
OSE: z = RF = RF = RF sin with a + sign to show what you have chosen for a
positive sense of direction.
R is called the lever arm or +
O Draw the curved arrow around
moment arm. The line along
the point O, not somewhere else! R
which F is directed is its line of R
action. R F
A torque producing a + rotation O
F is +. A torque producing a - +
The z axis passes through the
point O and is perpendicular to rotation is -.

the plane of the paper.
F
To find the direction of the torque, curl your fingers
around the direction of rotation from R into F. The thumb
of your right hand points in the direction of the torque.
You dont need to know this for the exam!

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Example 8-8. The biceps muscle
exerts a vertical force of 700 N on the
lower arm, as shown in the figure.
Calculate the torque about the axis of
rotation through the elbow joint.
There is no new litany for torques.
r=5 cm
You should adapt the litany for force
problems.
When you work with torques, the
first thing you need to do is draw
an extended free-body diagram.
Before that, we need to have a
r
diagram of the thing we are
investigating.
We are not interested in the upper arm!
We have our diagram. Now we
must do a free-body diagram. For F
F rotational motion, we must do an
extended free-body diagram, which
r
30 shows where the forces are
applied.
Label the rotation axis.
F F
Choose a + direction for
O + rotation.
r How about this for an OSE?
z = RF sin
No! No! No!

From the extended free-body If more than one torque acts on an object, the net
diagram, I see that the angle torque is the algebraic sum of the two torques
between r and F is 90+, so F (algebraic means there may be signs involved).
z=RF sin(90+) would work. r Example 8-10. Calculate the net
O +
torque on the compound wheel shown F2
I think it is better to look for r or r in the drawing.
F. In this case, r is easy to see.
The diagram will serve as an extended
free-body diagram. No need for a r2
From the diagram r=r cos.
separate one.
OSE: z = RF = RF cos. Done! (Except for plugging in r1
z,net = z = z,F1 + z,F2
numbers.)
z,net = +r1F1 + r2(-F2cos) F1
That was a lot of work for something that took 2
lines in the text! z,net = r1F1 - r2F2cos
No. I showed you a general approach to torque
problems. The text just solved one simple problem.

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 8.5 Rotational Dynamics;
Torque and Rotational Inertia
We saw in our study of dynamics that forces cause
acceleration:
F = ma.
Torques produce angular acceleration, and the rotational
equivalent of mass is the moment of inertia, I:
OSE: z = Iz.
This is really a vector equation, but our problems will all
have a unique axis of rotation, which is like a one-
dimensional problem, so that the only vestiges of the
vector nature of z will be the sign.
What is this moment of inertia, I?
It is the rotational analog of mass.
I depends on the mass of the object. It also depends on
how the mass is distributed relative to the axis of
rotation.*
Figure 8-20 gives I for various objects of uniform
composition. You will be given this figure (or its
equivalent, or appropriate portions of it) on an exam or
quiz.
Solid cylinder, mass M, radius R
I=MR2
It doesnt matter how thick the cylinder is!
*This means a single object can have different Is for
different axes of rotation!
8.6 Solving Problems in Rotational Dynamics
Example 8-13 (modified). A cord of negligible mass is
wrapped around a frictionless pulley of mass M and
radius R. The pulley rotates about a fixed axle which
passes through its center. A bucket of mass m hangs
from the cord. Calculate the angular acceleration of the
pulley and the linear acceleration of the bucket.
The litany for force problems still works!
Step 1. Draw a basic sketch. R
M
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 Step 6. OSE P (force due to axle)
Step 2. Draw free-body diagrams. For objects that T +
rotate, the free-body diagram must be extended; it must bucket: Fx = max a
R
x
x
show the actual points of application of forces. O
pulley: z = Iz w=mg T
W=Mg

P (force due to axle) (We dont need the sum of

T forces equation for the bucket
+ pulley
a x
R
x
pulley in this example.)
O
w=mg
T
W=Mg Step 7. Write out sum of forces/torques equation
explicitly, then replace generic quantities with labeled
bucket
pulley quantities.
bucket pulley
To avoid extraneous
Step 3. Label each vector (done). minus signs, make sure Tx + Wx = max T,z + W,z + P,z = Iz
your a and have the -T + mg = ma +RT + 0 + 0 = I
Step 4. Draw axes (done). same sense.

Step 5. Draw projections of forces not along axes (done). Step 8. Solve. You need to use the OSE a = R to
connect a and .