Abstract
Many objects such as nuclei, gyroscopes, bicycle wheels, and heavenly bodies can be approximated as rigid. The motion of a rigid body reduces to a translation of its center of mass plus a rotation relative to its center of mass and is, therefore, comparatively easy to describe. For these reasons, rigid bodies merit special attention. Many aspects of rigid body motion can be discovered by studying the motion of rigid bodies that have an axis of rotation that is fixed in direction. Spinning electrical machinery that is anchored in position and a majorette's air-borne whirling baton are examples of that type of motion. This chapter introduces special variables and relations that are useful for dealing with rigid body motion, where the axis of rotation is fixed in direction. It also presents a rotational form of Newton's second law that is applicable to that kind of motion.
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