Translational, Rotational and Vibrational Energy
Main Idea
In many cases, analyzing the kinetic energy of an object is in fact more difficult than just applying the formula [math]\displaystyle{ K = \cfrac{1}{2}mv^2 }[/math]. When you throw a ball, for example, the ball is traveling through the air, but will also rotate around its own axis. When analyzing more complicated movements like this one, it is necessary to break kinetic energy into different parts and analyze each one separately.
The kinetic energy associated to the movement of the center of mass of the object is called the translational kinetic energy. In terms of the example above, this would be the kinetic energy of the movement of the center of mass of the ball through the air. The kinetic energy associated to the rotation of the atoms of the object around its center or axis is called the relative kinetic energy. This kinetic energy is the energy of the ball rotating on its own axis. If this is difficult to visualize, think about how an american football rotates about its center axis when you throw it correctly.
A Mathematical Model
What are the mathematical equations that allow us to model this topic. For example [math]\displaystyle{ {\frac{d\vec{p}}{dt}}_{system} = \vec{F}_{net} }[/math] where p is the momentum of the system and F is the net force from the surroundings.
A Computational Model
How do we visualize or predict using this topic. Consider embedding some vpython code here Teach hands-on with GlowScript
Examples
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See also
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