What Is Conservation Of Angular Momentum

Rotational objects rotate and never submit to gravity unless an external force acts over them. This particular phenomenon by physics is explained as angular momentum. To be precise, it is explained as the conservation of angular momentum. The conservation of angular momentum is a physical property of a spinning system. It is witnessed when any spinning object is in the period of spin. 

The spin remains constant unless it is acted upon by an external torque in the conservation of angular momentum. Understanding what angular momentum is, is essential to knowing the concept of conservation of angular momentum. In the below information, there will be a complete elucidation of what angular momentum is. Further, there will be a description of the law of conservation of angular momentum with examples.

What Is Angular Momentum- An Overview 

Angular momentum is the exhibited rotary property of an object when it is in motion around the centre or the axis. Here, the object stands at an equal possibility of passing or not passing through. In other words, angular momentum is the momentum that is exhibited when an object is in rotational motion. Here, the angular momentum can only be witnessed when the body moves in a rotating or twisting pattern. 

Angular momentum can be witnessed in our day-to-day activities. Some common examples of angular momentum include throwing a frisbee, rotation of the Earth around its axis, motion of motorcycles and more. The firing of a rifle bullet is also an example of angular momentum. In all these examples, the object keeps rotating, thus exhibiting angular momentum. 

Angular momentum has the property of conservation and consistency. It is constant all the time, even when the object is continuously going through the rotational movement. This further indicates that the object is completing similar rotations at the same speed and velocity. Further, in angular momentum, there is complete conservation of the energy. This is why the object continues to be spinning at the rotational rates and does not fall out of energy. 

Angular momentum has magnitude and direction and thus is a product of vector quantity. It has a magnitude and direction. Magnitude refers to the intensity with which the angular momentum continues. For instance, the tornado that rips through a city destroys everything. This is indicative of the high magnitude that it had for the angular momentum it carried. 

There is a particular direction to the angular momentum of any object or body. When the body is in a rotational spin, its angular momentum determines the space it will travel to. Again, considering the examples of tornadoes, there is a direction in which the destruction might go. The tornado might destroy only a few cities and gradually lower down as it moves. 

Angular momentum is considered to be a part of linear momentum. Here, linear momentum refers to the multiplied product. It is multiplied by the body’s velocity and mass.  

There is a particular formula for the calculation of angular momentum. Angular momentum is said to be the product of the mass, radius and velocity of the object that is rotating. 

Mathematically, it is expressed as:

L = mvr

In the above equation, 

L= Angular momentum

m= Mass

v= Velocity 

r= Radius 

Angular momentum is a conserved quantity, as explained previously. There is also a law regarding the conservation of angular momentum exhibiting the same property. A detailed account of it is explained in the next section. 

What Is Conservation Of Angular Momentum And Its Law

Conservation of angular momentum is a physical property of a spinning system wherein the spin of the object is consistent. However, the spin remains constant unless it is acted upon by an external torque. Torque refers to the force that causes the object to make its moves in rotation or spin pattern. It also refers to the force that twists the object continuously.

Gyroscopes are considered the prominent interventions in halting, stabilising, or increasing the object’s angular momentum. These gyroscopes are installed in various objects. The top that is spun has the toy gyroscope, which keeps it rotating and falling towards the ground due to gravity. Similarly, the wheels of a bicycle have a gyroscope. The wheels do not stop once the rider begins to ride them. The wheels do not stop and continue the rotation motion that keeps the angular momentum going.

According to the law of conservation of angular momentum, “when the net external torque acting on a system is zero, its total angular momentum is conserved and hence, does not change.” That is, when the torque has a zero effect on changing the object’s angular momentum, there is a conservation of the angular momentum. This law is one of the four laws of physics that explains how a physical object remains unchanged when it evolves. 

Conservation of angular momentum conserves the energy too. It keeps the object spinning in the long term at a constant rate. Further, it also leads the object in motion to cover up a larger space due to the conserved energy. 

There are various applications to this conservation of angular momentum. These are elaborated on in the next section.

Applications Of Conservation Of Angular Momentum

There are various applications regarding angular momentum and its conservation that also indicate its significance. These are:

• Conservation of angular momentum helps a figure skater to look out for the right time to open their arms and change positions in rotation.
• The flywheel is used as a temporary energy storehouse. This is because there is energy conservation by angular momentum conservation.  
• Conservation of angular momentum helps the objects to keep their orientation intact while in motion. 

These are some of the applications of conservation of angular momentum. Angular momentum stems an understanding of consistency in rotational movement.

Conclusion

The above information highlights the concept of angular momentum and conservation of angular momentum. Conservation of angular momentum is a physical property of a spinning system wherein the spin of the object is consistent. There are various law of conservation of angular momentum examples that explain the same. In it, the spin remains constant unless it is acted upon by an external torque. 

There is further elaboration on what are the applications and significance of conservation of angular momentum.