Question

Describe how work is done by a skater pulling in her arms during a spin. In particular, identify the force she exerts on each arm to pull it in and the distance each moves, noting that a component of the force is in the direction moved. Why is angular momentum not increased by this action?

Answer 1

Answer:

 ∑ τ =0,  L₀ = $L_{f}$

Explanation:

In a circular turning movement, when the arms are extended and then contracted in two possibilities:

- They are lowered the force of gravity is what pulls them, the tension of the muscle becomes zero to allow this movement.

    In this movement the force is vertical(gravity) and the movement of the center of mass of each arm is vertical, so that the work is the weight value of the arm by the distance traveled by the center of mass.

- Another possibility is that the arms have stuck to the body, in this case the person's muscles perform the force, this force is horizontal and the displacement is the horizontal of the center of mass of the arms from the extended position to the contracted

 

In these movements the torque of the external force is equal for each arm, but in the opposite direction, so they are canceled where a net torque of zero, this causes the angular momentum to be preserved, which changes is the moment of inertia of the system and therefore you must also change the angular velocity to keep your product constant

          ∑ τ =0

                L₀ = $L_{f}$

              I₀ w₀ = I w