What IS Angular Momentum?

Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!

 

Straight Rod Passing Through Curved Hole

Exhibition from the Science Museum in Valencia, Spain.

The experiment:

 

...and simulation:

How do figure skaters exploit Newtonian physics when they spin?

Legendary MIT physics professor Walter Lewin describes some of the science that was in action during the Winter Olympics in Sochi. He explains how ice-skaters use their arms to moderate their moment of inertia, which in turn affects the angular velocity of their spins. The biomechanics is fairly straightforward, but Walter Lewin always manages to make his lessons engaging thanks to his trademark charisma.

 

The Cubli: a cube that can jump up, balance, and 'walk'

The Cubli is a 15 × 15 × 15 cm cube that can jump up and balance on its corner. Reaction wheels mounted on three faces of the cube rotate at high angular velocities and then brake suddenly, causing the Cubli to jump up. Once the Cubli has almost reached the corner stand up position, controlled motor torques are applied to make it balance on its corner. In addition to balancing, the motor torques can also be used to achieve a controlled fall such that the Cubli can be commanded to fall in any arbitrary direction. Combining these three abilities -- jumping up, balancing, and controlled falling -- the Cubli is able to 'walk'.

 Lead Researchers: Gajamohan Mohanarajah and Raffaello D'Andrea This work was done at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, ETH Zurich, Switzerland and was funded in part by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), grant number 146717.

 For more details visit: http://www.idsc.ethz.ch/Research_DAndrea/Cubli

 

Moving Sand Cart Over a Rotating Surface

A sand-carrying cart on a track leaves a trail of sand when it travels over a rotating table. This demonstrates the Coriolis Effect.

 

Spinning Water

The spinning water takes on a curved shape, which sure looks like a parabola. But why does it do that?

 

Gyroscopes Made Easy

The motion of a gyroscope in response to an applied force is analyzed. TSG's gimbaled gyroscope is used to demonstrate.

 

What on Earth is spin? - Brian Jones

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-on-earth-is-spin-brian-jones

Why does the Earth spin? Does a basketball falling from a spinning merry-go-round fall in a curve, as it appears to, or in a straight line? How can speed be manipulated while spinning? In short, why is the spinning motion so special? Brian Jones details the dizzyingly wide array of ways that spinning affects our lives.

 Lesson by Brian Jones, animation by Flaming Medusa Studios.

 

Hewitt-Drew-it! 43. Angular Momentum

Conservation of angular momentum, with examples, including Paul in the classroom, are examined.

Other Hewitt-Drew-it! videos

 

Coriolis Effect: IDTIMWYTIM

Does your toilet water drain differently than in the other hemisphere? Is it because of the Coriolis effect? Hank has some things to clarify about these questions, and more in this edition of I Don't Think It Means What You Think It Means.

 

Hewitt-Drew-it! 42. Skateboard Torques

How does rotational physics explain how a skateboard is able to lift without external forces?

Other Hewitt-Drew-it! videos

 

Hewitt-Drew-it! 41.Torques on a Plank

Torques on horizontal planks, taking center of gravity into account, are examined.

Other Hewitt-Drew-it! videos

 

Dartmouth professor discusses Foucault's pendulum

Physics and astronomy professor Jim LaBelle discusses the science behind a classic physics experiment, Foucault's pendulum, while seated next to Dartmouth's pendulum in Fairchild Tower.

 

Hewitt-Drew-it! 40.Balanced Torques

We drop in on Paul's class as he discusses balanced metersticks and seesaws.

Other Hewitt-Drew-it! videos

Hewitt-Drew-it! 39.Torque

We drop in on Paul's class as he discusses the concept of torque.

Other Hewitt-Drew-it! videos

Hewitt-Drew-it! 35. RR Wheels

Paul links the linear-rotational speed relation to an explanation of why railroad trains stay on tracks via tapered wheel rims.

Other Hewitt-Drew-it! videos

Hewitt-Drew-it! 34. Circular Motion

Paul discusses his father working as a ticket collector in a merry-go-round and ties this to a Burl-Grey problem involving circular motion.

Other Hewitt-Drew-it! videos

Spinning Magnet - Sixty Symbols

Rotating magnet in levitation.

Other Sixty Symbols videos

How Does A Boomerang Work?

A boomerang can execute its unique roundtrip flight by making use of three fundamental physics principles: lift, relative velocity, and gyroscopic precession.

Other Veritasium videos

Science off the Sphere: Yo-Yos in Space

NASA Astronaut Don Pettit uses his off-duty time to practice his microgravity yo-yo skills.

Other Science off the Sphere videos