angular momentum

noun

|Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of angular momentum

: a vector quantity that is a measure of the rotational momentum of a rotating body or system, that is equal in classical physics to the product of the angular velocity of the body or system and its moment of inertia with respect to the rotation axis, and that is directed along the rotation axis

Recent Examples of angular momentum from the Web

Since the two rotors are spinning in opposite directions, the total angular momentum is zero and there is no need for torque from an extra tail rotor.

— rhett allain, WIRED, "The Physics of NASA's New Mars Helicopter," 16 May 2018
His group found that most skaters had the necessary angular momentum leaving the ice, but sometimes had trouble getting enough rotational speed to complete the jump.

— evelyn lamb, Smithsonian, "How Physics Keeps Figure Skaters Gracefully Aloft," 7 Feb. 2018
Because the Universe doesn't create or destroy things like energy, momentum, or angular momentum, the energy contained in the two photons has to sum to the value of the energy contained by the first photon.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "Imaging at 1,000fps with a single pixel," 15 Feb. 2018
There is a trade-off between vertical velocity and angular momentum.

— evelyn lamb, Smithsonian, "How Physics Keeps Figure Skaters Gracefully Aloft," 7 Feb. 2018
This increase is due to a principle called the conservation of angular momentum.

— evelyn lamb, Smithsonian, "How Physics Keeps Figure Skaters Gracefully Aloft," 7 Feb. 2018
Using his blue marker, Anderson is writing across the overhead projector film the equations that describe this motion, according to basic laws of physics like the conservation of energy and angular momentum.

— jenny vrentas, SI.com, "The Launching of Matt Patricia," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'angular momentum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.