Advanced Placement Physics C: Mechanics with calculus-based physics principles.
Not all motion is in straight lines—many objects rotate! Rotational dynamics links angular motion to forces.
Torque is the rotational equivalent of force: \( \tau = r \times F \). It causes objects to spin or change how fast they spin.
The distribution of mass affects how hard it is to rotate an object. The further the mass is from the axis, the more torque is needed.
Torque and rotational inertia explain why figure skaters spin faster when they pull their arms in.
\[\tau = r \times F\]
A seesaw balances when torques on each side are equal.
A spinning top slows down due to frictional torque.
Rotational dynamics explains how forces cause objects to spin and how mass distribution affects rotation.