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ROTATIONAL MOTION
Vocabulary Review
Write the term that correctly completes the statement. Use each term once.

angular acceleration centrifugal “force” Newton’s second law for

rotational motion
angular displacement Coriolis “force”
radian
angular velocity lever arm
torque
center of mass moment of inertia

1. _________________________ Angular acceleration is directly proportional to the net torque

and inversely proportional to the moment of inertia is a
statement of ____.
2. _________________________ As an object rotates, the change in angle is called ____.
3. _________________________ The ____ of a rotating object can be calculated by dividing its
angular displacement by the time it takes for the displacement
to occur.
4. _________________________ The ____ of an object is the point on the object that moves in
the same way that a point particle would move.
5. _________________________ The ____ is the resistance to rotation.
6. _________________________ One ____ is equal to approximately 57.3.
7. _________________________ The apparent force that seems to pull an object on a spinning
platform toward the outside of the platform is called the ____.
8. _________________________ The result of dividing the change in angular velocity by the time
it takes to make the change is ____.
9. _________________________ ____ is the measure of how effectively a force causes rotation.
10. _________________________ When a force is exerted on a rotating object, the change in
angular velocity depends on the ____, which is the
perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the point
where the force is exerted.
11. _________________________ When the horizontal motion of an object in a rotating frame of
reference seems to deflect, the apparent force is the ____.

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SECTION 1 Describing Rotational Motion

In your textbook, read about rotational motion.
Refer to the diagram at right to answer questions 1–7. If the statement
is true, write true. If the statement is false, rewrite the italicized part to
make it true.

1. If a point on the car moving along the edge of the circle rotates
from point A to point B in a counterclockwise direction, its
angular displacement is positive.
_______________________________________________________

2. The value of  is approximately rad.

____________________________________________________________________________________
3. The variable r represents the distance the point moves as the circle rotates.
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. The actual distance the point travels is its angular displacement.
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Angular displacement is measured in meters.
____________________________________________________________________________________

6. If it takes 4 s for the point to move so that   , its angular velocity is rad/s.

____________________________________________________________________________________

7. If the point is at rest at A and it has an angular velocity of rad/s when it reaches point B 2 s

later, it has an angular acceleration of rad/s2.

____________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION 2 Rotational Dynamics

In your textbook, read about torque and net torque.
Answer the following questions. Use complete sentences.

1. Sometimes sit-ups are done with your arms out in front of you, and sometimes they are done
with your hands behind your head. In terms of torque, why is it less difficult to do a sit-up with
your arms out in front of you?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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2. Can a force of 400 N exert a greater torque than a force of 900 N? Explain your answer.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Henry has two batons. Baton A has identical round objects on each end. The round objects on
the ends of baton B are unequal in size and mass.
a. When Henry holds each of the batons in the middle, which one has net torque equal to
zero? Explain your answer.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
b. How can Henry hold baton B so that it has net torque equal to zero?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. Barbara exerts a force of 48 N on the outer edge of a door that is 76 cm wide. What is the
magnitude of torque if the force is perpendicular to the door?

In your textbook, read about the moment of inertia.

For the objects described in questions 5–12, write the formula you would use to calculate the moment of inertia.
Calculate the moment of inertia for each. Show your calculations.

5. A solid rubber ball has a radius of 32 cm and a mass of 0.85 kg with the axis of rotation through
the center.

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6. A metal hoop has a diameter of 4.0 m and a mass of 1.2 kg with the axis of rotation through the
central diameter.

7. A broom handle has a length of 1.67 m and a mass of 580 g with the axis of rotation through the
center.

8. A piece of aluminum foil has a length of 7.2 cm, a width of 4.5 cm and a mass of 5.00 g with the
axis of rotation through the center.

9. A 12-cm slice of a tree trunk has a radius of 48 cm and a mass of 12 kg with the axis of rotation
through the center.

10. A metal rod has a length of 1.3 m and a mass of 2.8 kg with the axis of rotation through the end.

11. A flat cookie sheet has a length of 35 cm, a width of 22 cm, and a mass of 467 g with the axis of
rotation through the center.

12. A pencil lead has a mass of 0.66 g and a length of 12.6 cm with the axis of rotation through the
center.

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SECTION 3 Equilibrium
In your textbook, read about the center of mass and how it affects stability.
Write the term that correctly completes the statement.

The point on an object that moves in the same way that a point particle would move is the
(1) __________________________ of the object. To find the center of mass of an object, first
suspend the object from (2) __________________________. When the object is not moving,
draw a(n) (3) __________________________ from the suspension point. Repeat this process
using another (4) __________________________. The center of mass is the point at which
(5) __________________________. The center of mass of an adult human who is standing with
his or her arms hanging down is about halfway between the front and the back of the body, a
few centimeters below the (6) __________________________.

In an unstable object, the center of mass is (7) __________________________ the base of an object.
However, an object is stable if a(n) (8) __________________________ is required to tip it over.
A force acts on an object and applies a(n) (9) __________________________ on the object. The
(10) __________________________ of the object applies a torque in the opposite direction, as it
acts on the (11) __________________________ of the object. When the object tips enough that
its center of mass is no longer above its (12) __________________________, both torques act
in (13) __________________________ direction(s), and the object tips over. A(n)
(14) __________________________ base results in a stable object. An object is also more likely
to be stable if its center of mass is located (15) __________________________ in the object.
In your textbook, read about the conditions for equilibrium.
Answer the following questions. Use complete sentences.

16. What can be said about the velocity and angular velocity of an object that is in equilibrium?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
17. When is an object in translational equilibrium?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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18. When is an object in rotational equilibrium?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

In your textbook, read about rotating frames of reference, centrifugal “force,” and the Coriolis “force”.
Circle the letter of the choice that best completes the statement.

19. Newton’s laws do not apply to a spinning object, because rotating frames of reference are
____ frames.
a. inertial c. non-accelerated
b. accelerated d. static
20. If you triple the rotational frequency, the centripetal acceleration ____.
a. increases by a factor of 4 c. increases by a factor of 9
b. decreases by a factor of 4 d. decreases by a factor of 9
21. The apparent force that makes objects seem to be pulled toward the outer edge of a rotating
object is ____.
a. the Coriolis “force” c. centripetal acceleration
b. centrifugal “force” d. a rotating frame of reference.
22. One condition for the appearance of the Coriolis “force” is ____.
a. a rotating reference frame c. vertical motion
b. centripetal acceleration d. straight horizontal movement
23. To an observer stationed on a rotating object, a ball that is thrown across the object appears
to ____.
a. follow a straight path c. have varying speed
b. have vertical motion d. follow a curved path
24. The Coriolis “force” makes winds rotate ____ in the northern hemisphere.
a. clockwise around low-pressure c. clockwise around high-pressure areas
areas
b. counterclockwise around d. counterclockwise around high-pressure areas
low-pressure areas

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Study Guide    Teacher Support
ROTATIONAL MOTION SECTION 2 Rotational Dynamics
All numerical answers have been rounded to 1. Putting your arms straight out in front of
the correct number of significant figures. you brings your center of mass closer to
the center of rotation (your waist). This
Vocabulary Review decreases your body's moment of inertia.
1. Newton’s second law for rotational With a decreased moment of inertia, the
motion torque required to rotate your body also
decreases.
2. angular displacement
2. Yes; because torque is dependent upon
3. angular velocity both the force and the lever arm through
the relationship τ  Fr sin , increasing
4. center of mass
the lever arm r1 so that (400 N)r1 sin  
5. moment of inertia (900 N)r2 sin  will result in a greater
torque for the 400-N force.
6. radian
3. a. Baton A has an equal torque in each
7. centrifugal “force” direction. For each end, the torque is
8. angular acceleration equal in magnitude and opposite in
direction to the torque on the other
9. Torque end, so baton A has a net torque
10. lever arm equal to zero.

11. Coriolis “force” b. If he holds the baton closer to the end

that has the heavier round object so
that Fg1r1  Fg2r2, the baton will have a
SECTION 1 Describing Rotational
net torque equal to zero.
Motion
4. τ  Fr sin   (48 N)(0.76 m)(sin 90.0)
1. true  36 N•m

2. rad 5. I   (0.85 kg)(0.32 m)2

 0.035 kg•m2
3. from a point on the circle to the center of
the circle 6. I  mr2  (1.2 kg)(2.0 m)2  4.8 kg•m2
4. The change in the angle of the point
7. I   (0.58 kg)(1.67 m)2
5. rads, or degrees
 0.13 kg•m2
6. true
8. I  m(l2  w2)  (0.00500 kg)
2
7. rad/s ((0.072 m)2  (0.045 m)2)
 3.0106 kg•m2

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Study Guide    Teacher Support
9. I   (12 kg)(0.48 m)2
9. torque
 1.4 kg•m2
10. weight
2
10. I   (2.8 kg)(1.3 m)
11. center of mass
 1.6 kg•m2
12. base of support
2 2
11. I  m(l  w )  (0.467 kg) 13. the same
((0.35 m)  (0.22 m)2)
2
14. broad
 6.7103 kg•m2
15. at a low point
2 4 2
12. I  ml  (6.6  10 kg)(0.126 m)
16. The velocity and angular velocity are
7
 8.710 kg•m2 either zero or constant.
17. An object is in translational equilibrium
SECTION 3 Equilibrium
when the net force on the object is zero.
1. center of mass
18. An object is in rotational equilibrium
2. any point when the net torque on the object is zero.

3. vertical line 19. b

4. point 20. c

5. the two lines intersect 21. b

6. navel 22. a

7. outside 23. d

8. external force 24. b

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