Unit 6 · 6.2 — Torque and Work

Everything to learn here

• Concept: Mechanical work is done on a rotating system when an external torque acts through an angular displacement, changing the rotational kinetic energy of the system.
• Concept: The physical area bounded under a Torque vs. Angular Displacement graph yields the total rotational work done on the system.
• Equation: $$W_{rot}=\tau \cdot \Delta \theta \text{(Work done by a constant torque)}$$
• Equation: $$W_{rot}=\int \tau d_{t}heta\text{(Work derived from a mathematically variable torque)}$$
• Vocabulary: Rotational Work — The transfer of mechanical energy via a torque.
• Skill: Graphical Analysis — Calculating the change in rotational kinetic energy by analyzing the geometric area of a Torque-versus-Angular-Displacement curve.
• Skill: Calculate the change in a system's rotational energy resulting from the work performed by applied torques.

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