A Level Physics Notes: Forces and Motion – Torques and Turning Forces
Torque is a measure of the tendency of a force to cause an object
to turn or rotate. The wrench shown above is more likely to turn when
a force is applied at B than when it is applied at A even
tough
because
the applied torque is greater at B than at A,
For the wrench above the torque at A is
and
the torque at B is
The
wrench above illustrates a special case of an applied force being
perpendicular to the distance of the point of application of the
force, A from the pivot point O being at a right angle to the
Force
and
similarly for B. In general there will not be a right angle involved.
The mathematical definition of toque is
The
magnitude of
is
where
is
the angle between
and
as
shown below.
