Everything about Torque totally explained
In
physics, a
torque (τ) (also called
moment (physics)) is a
vector that measures the tendency of a force to rotate an object about some axis (center). The magnitude of a torque is defined as force times the length of the
lever arm (radius). Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist.
The
SI unit for torque is
newton meters (N m). In
U.S. customary units, it's measured in
foot pounds (ft·lbf) (also known as 'pound feet'). The symbol for torque is
τ, the
Greek letter tau.
History
The concept of torque, also called
moment or
couple, originated with the studies of
Archimedes on
levers. The rotational analogues of
force,
mass, and
acceleration are torque,
moment of inertia, and
angular acceleration, respectively.
Explanation
The force applied to a lever, multiplied by its distance from the lever's
fulcrum, is its torque. For example, a force of three
newtons applied two
meters from the fulcrum exerts the same torque as one newton applied six meters from the fulcrum. This assumes the force is in a direction at
right angles to the straight lever. The direction of the torque can be determined by using the
right hand rule: Using your right hand, curl your fingers in the direction of rotation, and stick your thumb out so it's aligned with the axis of rotation. Your thumb points in the direction of the torque vector.
Mathematically, the torque on a particle (which has the position
r in some reference frame) can be defined as the
cross product:
» .
Further Information
Get more info on 'Torque'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://torque.totallyexplained.com">Torque Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
