Math 2.0

Mechanics of particles and systems Foundations of particle mechanics Concept

Angular momentum

Builds on MomentumCross product

Summary

The angular momentum of a particle about a point is the cross product of its position relative to that point with its momentum. It measures the amount of rotation of the motion about the point, and its direction is the axis of that rotation. Its rate of change equals the torque of the forces, so it is conserved when the torque vanishes, for instance under a central force. This conservation explains why planetary orbits lie in a plane and obey Kepler's second law.

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Cross product, concept, no evidence levelCross productconceptDerivative, concept, no evidence levelDerivativeconceptEuclidean space, object, no evidence levelEuclidean spaceobjectEuclidean vector, concept, no evidence levelEuclidean vectorconceptOrdinary differential equation, concept, no evidence levelOrdinary differential…conceptVelocity, concept, no evidence levelVelocityconceptClassical mechanics, concept, no evidence levelClassical mechanicsconceptMomentum, concept, no evidence levelMomentumconceptAngular momentum, concept, no evidence levelAngular momentumconcept
Each page uses the pages above it. The colour of the bar on a box shows how strong the evidence is, and the box also gives it as text. The list has the same pages.
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  1. Cross product concept
  2. Derivative concept
  3. Euclidean space object
  4. Euclidean vector concept
  5. Ordinary differential equation concept
  6. Velocity concept
  7. Classical mechanics concept
  8. Momentum concept
  9. Angular momentum concept

Where this leads

41 pages build on this one.

Further reading

  1. Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_momentum
About this page
Tag7147M98XNR
URIm2://7147M98XNR
Kindconcept
WritingW0 stub
MSC70A05, 70F10
UsesMomentum, Cross product
Same as
Changed3 November 2026

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