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From: Brian Whatcott <betwys1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
How about treating the angular momentum as a storage method.
Spin up a flywheel, and the Earth takes up a complementary
momentum (if you must...)
Brian
At 10:01 PM 12/22/2003, you wrote:
>[This was brought up on PHYSHARE-L as well, and I still don't get how
>rotational momentum is conserved. I realize that when I fully understand
>it, I am going to feel like an idiot, but here goes....]
>
>If the energy that is used to light the bulbs, etc., comes from the
>earth's rotation, then the earth needs to lose kinetic energy. KE of a
>rotating body is KE = 1/2 (rotational inertia) (rotational velocity)^2. I
>presume that the actual shape of the earth doesn't change, so its
>rotational inertia remains constant. That means that rotational velocity
>must decrease.
>
>On the other hand rotational momentum = rotational inertia x rotational
>velocity . If rotational inertia stays the same and rotational velocity
>decreases, then rotational momentum must get smaller. If rotational
>momentum of the earth gets smaller, then the L of something else must get
>larger.
>
>So, the rotational momentum of what gets larger?
>
>Marc "Zeke" Kossover
>The Hockaday School
Brian Whatcott Altus OK Eureka!