angular momentum

noun

, Physics.

1. the product of the moment of inertia of a body about an axis and its angular velocity with respect to the same axis.

angular momentum

noun

1. a property of a mass or system of masses turning about some fixed point; it is conserved in the absence of the action of external forces

angular momentum

/ ăng′gyə-lər /

1. A measure of the momentum of a body in rotational motion. The angular momentum of rigid bodies is conserved; thus, a spinning sphere will continue to spin unless acted on by an outside force. Changes in angular momentum are equivalent to torque . In classical mechanics, angular momentum is equal to the product of the angular velocity of the body and its moment of inertia around the axis of rotation. It is a vector quantity; the vector points up along the axis of counterclockwise rotation. In quantum mechanics, the angular momentum of a physical system is quantized and can only take on discrete values.
2. See also Planck's constant

Word History and Origins

Origin of angular momentum¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

The tail, it turned out, regulated angular momentum and efficiency, reducing the muscular strain on the dinosaur’s body.

From Popular-Science

The materials are made up of particles with spin, a quantum version of angular momentum, which makes them magnetic.

From Science News

Such collisions are well-understood for normal particle beams, but not for those with orbital angular momentum.

From Science News

Astronomers realized that in 1977, the planets would line up in such a way that a spacecraft launched that year could reach Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune one by one, stealing a little angular momentum from each world as it went along.

From Science News

The team measured how electrons scattered differently from the nucleus according to their spin, or angular momentum.

From Science News

When it came around again, he would be able to compute the angular momentum of the gigantic rock.

From Project Gutenberg

Angular momentum one point one times ten to the twenty-first gram centimeters squared per second.

From Project Gutenberg

The elimination of ψ between the equation of conservation of angular momentum about the vertical, viz.

From Project Gutenberg

I writhed and squirmed and made every use of the law of conservation of angular momentum until I had my back to Nelly.

From Project Gutenberg

The second general result is the Principle of Angular Momentum.

From Project Gutenberg