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Newton's First Law and Rotational Equilibrium
Unit: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
Prerequisites
Lesson Preview
Newton's First Law for Rotation states:
A rigid rotating object maintains constant angular velocity unless acted upon by a net torque.
The tendency to resist changes in rotational motion is called rotational inertia (or moment of inertia), which depends on how mass is distributed relative to the axis of rotation.
When the net torque is zero, the object is in rotational equilibrium:
This condition applies whether the object is stationary or rotating at constant —both cases have zero angular acceleration.
... continued in the full lesson.
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