01

NOTE
P H Y S I C S

ROTATION
VARIABLE MASS AND INTRODUCTION TO
ROTATION

What you already know What you will learn

• Newton’s laws of motion • Variable mass and its examples

• Principle of conservation of linear momentum (PCLM)
• Circular motion • Introduction to rotation

BOARDS
PCLM in the Case of Variable Mass

Variable mass and its examples

In the propulsion of a rocket, exothermic reactions take place inside the rocket and gases are
­ejected at high temperatures from the nozzle at the back of the rocket. According to Newton's third
law of motion, losing the mass at high velocities provides the necessary upthrust for the rocket to
rise through the atmosphere.
From Newton’s second law of motion, we know that,
Net force applied = Rate of change of momentum
 dp
F=
dt
 
dv  dm
⇒= F m +v (For a system with variable mass)
dt dt
Consider a body of mass M travelling at initial velocity v0 as seen from a fixed inertial frame (say
ground). After some time, a small piece of mass dm leaves the body at velocity vr with respect to
the frame of the body. As a result, the velocity of the remaining mass (M − dm) increases by dv with
respect to the ground.

M v0 M – dm
dm vr v0 + dv

The velocity of mass dm leaving the body with respect to the ground is,
vdm, body = vdm, ground − vbody, ground
vr = vdm − (v0 + dv)
According to the principle of conservation of linear momentum,
pi = pf

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 02

Mv0 = ( M − dm)( v0 + dv ) + dm ( vr + v0 + dv )

⇒ Mv0 = Mv0 + Mdv − dm ( v0 + dv ) + vr dm + dm ( v0 + dv )

dv dm
⇒M − vr
= FT
=
dt dt
dm
⇒ FT =
vr
dt
Where,
FT = Thrust force acting on the body
vr = Velocity of the mass leaving the body with respect to the body
dm
µ = Rate of change of mass with time
=
dt
The direction of thrust force FT is as follows:
• If the mass of the body is decreasing with time, then it is in the opposite direction of vr.
• If the mass of the body is increasing with time, then it is in the direction of vr.

Example

A 10000 kg rocket is releasing gas downward at vr = 100 ms−1 as shown

 dm 
in the figure. Find the minimum rate of ejection of fuel µ  =  so that
the rocket will lift-off from the launching pad.  dt 
vr = 100 ms-1

Solution
Given,
Mass of the rocket, m = 10000 kg
Velocity of the gas upon release with respect to the rocket, vr = 100 ms−1 FT
The free body diagram of the rocket at the time of lift-off is shown in the
figure.
As we can see, there are two vertical forces acting on the body of the rocket.
(i) Gravitational force, Fg (downward)
(ii) Thrust force, FT (upward) mg
Hence, the minimum thrust force required to lift the rocket from the ground
is,
FT = Fg

dm
⇒ vr mg
=
dt
µ 10000 × 10
⇒ 100 ×=

⇒µ=
1000 kg s −1

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 03

Example

At an instant (say t = 0), a rocket of mass m0 is rising at a speed of u with an m0 u

ejection speed of vr as shown in the figure. If the rate of ejection of fuel is
 dm 
µ=  , then find the speed of the rocket as a function of time v(t).
 dt  vr

Solution MAIN
Given, t=0
At t = 0,
Mass of the rocket = m0 m0 u
Rate of ejection of fuel = 𝜇
Velocity of the mass upon release with respect to the rocket = vr
Assume that after time t, the mass of the rocket is reduced to m and has
achieved the velocity v. The free body diagram of the rocket is shown in vr
the figure.
Since the mass of the rocket is decreasing at the rate of 𝜇,
m = m0 − 𝜇t t=t
The net force on the rocket in the vertical direction is as follows: v
dv m
FT − mg =
m FT
dt
dv
⇒ vr µ − ( m0 − µt ) g = ( m0 − µt ) mg
dt
vr
vr µ dv
⇒ −g=
m0 − µt dt
vr µ
⇒ dt − gdt =
dv
m0 − µt
By integrating this expression within appropriate limits, we get,
t t v
vr µ
∫0 m0 − µt dt − ∫0 gdt ∫u dv
=

vr µ t
⇒− ln ( m0 − µt )  0 − gt = v − u
µ 
 m − µt 
⇒ − vr ln  0  − gt =v − u
 m 0 
 m − µt 
⇒ v ( t ) =u − gt − vr ln  0 
 m0 

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Example

A chain of length L having unit mass 𝜆 kg m−1 is allowed to fall on a table such that the part
falling on the table comes to rest immediately. Find the force acting on the table when a 𝜆 L
length l of the chain has fallen on the table.

Solution
Assume that the chain starts falling on the table at time t = 0. At time t, the
­portion of the chain that has already fallen on the table is l.
L-l
Consider the frame of reference of this portion. The instantaneous ­velocity
with which the rest of the chain is falling is vr = 2 gl in the downward d
­ irection.
The net force Fnet acting on the table is the summation of the gravitational
force mg of the ­portion ­lying on the floor and the thrust force FT due to the
increment of mass at a c­ onstant rate. l
dm FT mg
⇒ Fnet = mg + vr
dt
The length of the chain dropping on the floor in infinitesimal time interval is,

dl = 2 gl dt

⇒ λ dl =
λ 2 gl dt

λ 2 gl dt
⇒ dm =

dm
⇒ λ 2 gl
=
dt
Hence, the net force acting on the floor when l portion of the chain is dropped is,

Fnet = λ lg + ( 2 gl × λ × 2 gl )
3λ gl
⇒ Fnet =

Introduction to Rotation: Rigid Body

Initial Final

Consider two points A and B of a body that are initially B

rAB B
separated by rAB. When the body moves from an i­nitial A rAB
position to the final position, the distance between the A
two particles remains the same as rAB.

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The ways in which a rigid body can be expressed are as follows:

• The shape and size of the body remains the same.
• There is no change in the distance between any pair of particles.
• There is no velocity of separation or velocity of approach between the particles.
• One particle is either performing a circular motion or is at rest with respect to any other
­particle of the body.
The motion of a rigid body can be classified into three types.

Combined translational and

Pure translational motion Pure rotational motion
rotational motion

For a translating rigid body, For a rotating rigid body, at The particles will undergo
at any fixed interval of time, any fixed interval of time, both translational as well as
the displacement of each the angular displacement rotational motion together.
particle is the same. of each particle is the same, Example: Wheels of the
Example: A block moving i.e., the axis of rotation is ­vehicles in motion
on a plane fixed.
Example: Ceiling fan

1 l
2 l
3 l

Circular vs Rotational Motion

• A circular motion is generally defined for a particle.

• A rotational motion is for a collection of particles that form a r1
1
rigid body. r2
2
Consider particles 1, 2, 3, and 4 of a rigid sphere moving in a r3
3
­circular motion individually as shown in the figure. Here, the r4
4
sphere is performing a rotational motion and the individual
­p­articles are performing a circular motion.

• In a rotational motion, all the individual particles of the extended body perform a
­circular motion.
• A circular motion is a special case of rotational motion in which only one particle is
present.

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