University Physics with Modern Physics (14th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321973615
ISBN 13: 978-0-32197-361-0

Chapter 11 - Equilibrium and Elasticity - Problems - Discussion Questions - Page 356: Q11.1

Answer

Yes. No.

Work Step by Step

The object is in equilibrium (though it is not “static”) because the net force is zero (proof: the center of mass stays at rest), and the net torque is zero (proof: there is no change in the object’s angular velocity). However, the particles in the body are not individually in equilibrium, because they are each accelerating, i.e., the linear velocity is changing. For example, a piece of the object that is instantaneously located at the “3 o’clock position” feels a centripetal force toward the center, i.e., toward the left. (For the object as a whole, such forces cancel out by Newton’s third law, because they are internal forces, i.e., exerted by the particles on one another.)
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