ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses concepts, principles and applications of rotational dynamics. It introduces torque, the rotational analogue of force, and rotational kinetic energy and angular momentum, the rotational analogues of translational kinetic energy and linear momentum. Each of these quantities plays an important part in the prediction of rotational motion and is vital to our understanding of our own bodies, our technology and the physical world in general, including the nature of the Earth’s rotation. To achieve any kind of turning effect about the axis of rotation it is essential that the line of action of the force does not go through the axis of rotation. The particular feature of the line of action that is significant in determining the turning effect of a force is its perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation.
