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Related Concept Videos

Non-conservative Forces01:17

Non-conservative Forces

Non-conservative forces are dissipative forces such as friction or air resistance. These forces take energy away from a system as it progresses. Unlike conservative forces, non-conservative forces do not have potential energy associated with them. This is because the energy is lost to the system and cannot be turned into useful work later.
Also unlike their conservative counterparts, they are path-dependent; where the object starts and stops does matter. For example, a grinding wheel applies a...
Torque01:10

Torque

Torque is an important quantity for describing the dynamics of a rotating rigid body. We see the application of torque in many ways in the world, such as when pressing the accelerator in a car, which causes the engine to apply additional torque on the drivetrain. Here, we define torque and provide a framework to create an equation to calculate torque for a rigid body with fixed-axis rotation.
Torque can be considered as the rotational counterpart to force. Since forces change the translational...
Net Torque Calculations01:19

Net Torque Calculations

When a mechanic tries to remove a hex nut with a wrench, it is easier if the force is applied at the farthest end of the wrench handle. The lever arm is the distance from the pivot point (the hex nut in this case) to the person’s hand. If this distance is large, the torque is higher. Only the component of the force perpendicular to the lever arm contributes to the torque. Therefore, pushing the wrench perpendicular to the lever arm is more advantageous. If multiple people apply force to rotate...
Conservative Forces01:14

Conservative Forces

According to the law of conservation of energy, any transition between kinetic and potential energy conserves the total energy of the system. Hence, the work done by a conservative force is completely reversible. It is path independent, which means that we can start and stop at any two points in the transition, and the total energy of the system (kinetic plus potential energy at these points) will remain conserved. This is characteristic of a conservative force. Some important examples of...
Conservative Forces01:03

Conservative Forces

Conservative forces are an essential concept in the field of mechanical engineering. Understanding the properties and characteristics of these forces is crucial to the design and analysis of mechanical systems.
Conservative forces are forces that are dependent only on the initial and final positions of an object and that are independent of the path that the object takes between these positions. These forces conserve energy, which means that the work done by the force is independent of the path...
Torque Free Motion01:15

Torque Free Motion

The torque-free motion refers to the movement of a rigid body in space when no external torques are acting upon it. This type of motion can be observed in environments where there are no external forces or frictions, like in outer space. For example, a rotation of Mars in space is a torque-free motion. Mars is an axisymmetric object, meaning it has an axis of symmetry along which it rotates, designated as the z-axis. The rotating frame of reference is defined such that the center of mass of...

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Magnetic Tweezers for the Measurement of Twist and Torque
11:41

Magnetic Tweezers for the Measurement of Twist and Torque

Published on: May 19, 2014

Conservative and nonconservative torques in optical binding.

D Haefner1, S Sukhov, A Dogariu

  • 1CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816-2700, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|November 13, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electromagnetic fields can induce orbital and spin torques on lossless spheres. Polarization controls whether these torques are conservative or nonconservative, enabling steady rotations with circularly polarized fields for nanomachines.

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Area of Science:

  • Optics and Electromagnetism
  • Nanotechnology and Nanomechanics

Background:

  • Understanding electromagnetic forces on dielectric objects is crucial for micro/nanoscale manipulation.
  • Previous studies often focused on dissipative forces or specific polarization states.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interplay between conservative and nonconservative forces on electromagnetically coupled lossless spheres.
  • To demonstrate novel mechanisms for inducing orbital and spin torques using controlled field polarization.
  • To explore applications in nanorotator machines.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis of electromagnetic coupling between two lossless spheres.
  • Modeling of torques (orbital and spin) induced by polarized incident fields.
  • Investigation of the influence of field polarization (linear vs. circular) on torque characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated interplay between conservative and nonconservative forces controlled by field polarization.
  • Showcased induction of orbital torques about the center of mass and spin torques about individual axes.
  • Revealed that linear polarization leads to transient conservative torques, while circular polarization induces steady nonconservative rotations.
  • Presented methods for controlling torque magnitudes.

Conclusions:

  • Electromagnetic field polarization offers a powerful tool to control rotational dynamics of micro/nanoscale objects.
  • Nonconservative torques, controllable via circular polarization, are key for sustained rotation in nanorotator applications.
  • The findings open avenues for designing advanced optical manipulation systems and nanomachines.