Angular Momentum

Angular momentum is a measure of the tendency of an object to keep rotating, or moving in a circle. Angular momentum depends on both the rotational inertia of an object and the angular velocity of the object. For example, a small skater spinning with arms tight against the body will be easier to stop then a large skater spinning with arms spread wide, assuming that they are both spinning at the same speed. Angular momentum equals the rotational inertia of an object times the angular velocity.

The following two scenarios on the next page were developed to illustrate the concept of angular momentum.