DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Not too many of us like Mondays; even fewer like Physics. So, why not combine the two?!  Â
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Today, let us discuss the conservation of angular momentum. What is that?!!!
Well, have you even seen a figure skater spin rapidly, then slow down, then spin back up again? This is called angular momentum. It applies to rotational motion and depends on how mass is distributed around an axis of rotation.
For instance, once a skater leaps into the air, they are stuck with however much angular momentum they have created. But a skater can change one thing: the moment of inertia. Moment of inertia determines how easy it is for an object to speed up or slow down, and describes the resistance that a force is working against.Â
We know from scientists, such as Descartes, Newton, Bernoulli and Euler, that angular momentum (moment of inertia times velocity) remains constant unless external forces act on it. So, as mthe oment of inertia decreases, velocity increases and vice versa. In other words, a larger moment of inertia, like when a skater extends their arms (or mass), will result in a slower rotational speed. But a smaller moment of inertia, like when a skater hugs their arms into their body tightly, will lead to a faster spin. Â
That is physics! Happy Monday.Â
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