Lect Notes on Theoretical Mech by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Phys, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.

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Rotation of a Rigid Body What is a rigid body? We can define a rigid body by considering the fact that the distance between any two points in it remains fixed: ( ) const.

To describe all kinds of motion of a rigid body we can consider three non-collinear points in it: , ,

So, we have 9 coordinates altogether. But for a rigid body, the distances between any two points are fixed. Thus we have 3 equations as constraints, namely, = const. [Between 1 and 2] and so on Therefore, we have effectively 9 3 = 6 free coordinates. The degrees of freedom = 6 = 3 degrees of Translation + 3 degrees of Rotation. But for a pure rotation, the body has to be fixed at one point! Theorem by Euler: In any kind of motion, where one point in the rigid body is fixed, it must be rotation.

Motion = Rotation + Translation Consider a rigid body having particles with masses

Angular momentum of the rigid body (w.r.t. a fixed point) is the sum of angular momenta of all the individual particles: [The body is rotating with angular velocity, ]

[Note, as the body is rigid, every particle will rotate with the same angular velocity (around the same axis) and so it has got no particle index.] [ ] [Using, ( ) ( )]

The x-component,
1

Lect Notes on Theoretical Mech by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Phys, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

For the coefficients of

and

we write,

Similarly, we find the y- and z-components ( Therefore, we can now write, ,

and

) of the angular momentum and identify,

, , So,

, ,

-> Moments of Inertia about z, y, z axes. etc. -> Products of Inertia

( Here, (

)(

(1)

) is called Moment of Inertia Tensor.

Note that the matrix is symmetric and thus it has six independent components.

Lect Notes on Theoretical Mech by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Phys, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

The relation, (1) can be written in terms of components: Let us write Kinetic Energy, Explicitly, [ and ] (2) If the body is rotating around x-axis, , , [ ] [Using, ( ) ( )] , where

Equation (2) can be rewritten in the following form: ( ) ( ) ( + )( ( ) [Where,

)(

)(

The above is an ellipsoid equation. This is called ellipsoid of inertia. Now consider some special cases. Special Case: If in the moment of inertia Tensor, only the diagonal terms exist, we write, ( )

The axes, for which the products of inertia (off diagonal elements) are zero, are called the principal axes of inertia.
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Lect Notes on Theoretical Mech by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Phys, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

In this case the kinetic energy,

, where

and

are angular velocities and angular momenta around the principal axes of inertia and we have , , For principal axes, we also can write the ellipsoid of inertia: +

NOTE: An important property of principal axis is that if a rigid body rotates about it, the direction of the angular momentum is the same as that of the angular velocity. Also, consider the following: | | ( )( )

We get a cubic equation in

having three roots, ,

principal moments of inertia.

Relations among the Moments of Inertia: Consider the three moments of Inertia of a rigid body: , , of the body. ] ] = 2. ..(1) . [ ri2 xi2 yi2 zi2 ]

z is the x jy k , where ri i

position vector of a mass point So, = 2 [ [

The above formula is true in general, whether the body is 2D or 3D, does not matter. But in 2D, say in XY-plane, we have all zi s are zero. So, , , .

Also, ri2 xi2 yi2 . Thus, [ ] = 2 =2

, Perpendicular axes theorem in 2D, as special case of relation (1).

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Lect Notes on Theoretical Mech by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Phys, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

Applications:
Consider the rotation of a rigid body (one point fixed in space) with angular velocity, . If is the torque acting on it, we can write,

[Fixed frame of ref is attached to the rotating body]

We can write,

(1)

When the axes of the body frame of reference are made to coincide with the principal axes of the body, all the products of inertia will vanish.

Eulers equations of motion for a rigid body. Free Symmetric Top: External torque acting on it is zero ( Also for symmetry, we consider, (i) (ii) (iii) From (iii), From (i), From (ii), From (iv) and (v), we can write, (iv) (v) * + .

Lect Notes on Theoretical Mech by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Phys, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

, ,

SHM equations.

For EARTH: and , is along the North pole (Body z-axis)

Earth freely rotates about its polar axis and behaves like a free symmetric top! Earth rotates about z-axis once in a day. radians/ day . We have, | |

The time period of precession

days [Compare: Time period of rotation = 1 day.]

Note: In practice it is 427 days. The difference is because of the fact that the Earth is not a perfectly rigid body.

NOTE: For an ellipsoid,

4

,
+

+ +

If ,

6 55 6 77

For Earth, the distance between North and South pole, diameter, 754 km.

km, the equatorial

Lect Notes on Theoretical Mech by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Phys, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

How to find Principal Moments of Inertia? Example: Let us consider a square plate of side , and mass as shown. Density,
Y

By symmetry, ,

So, we have the Moment of Inertia Tensor,

4 4

( For principal axes, we consider the eigenvalue equation:

4 4

| |

| |

)(

)(

Solving, we get the principal moments of inertia: ,

7

, and the eigenvalue equation,

Now if we consider the first eigenvalue (1st principal M.I.),

Lect Notes on Theoretical Mech by Dr. Abhijit Kar Gupta, Deptt. Phys, Panskura B. College, kg.abhi@gmail.com

4 4 ( 4 4 (
4 4

( )

4 4 ( 7 ) )

.(i) ..(ii)

4 7

(iii)

From (i) and (ii) we find From (iii) we find Thus

So we get the direction of one principal axis which is along the diagonal of the square. This way we can get the directions of the other two principal axes by considering the other two eigenvalues.

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