Rigid body dynamics The result is a set of m equations of motion that define the dynamics of the rigid body system. If the generalized forces Q are derivable from a potential energy V(q...,q), then these equations of motion take the form In this case, introduce the Lagrangian, L=T-V, so these equations of motion become These are known as Lagrange's equations of motion. The linear and angular momentum of a rigid system of particles is formulated by measuring the position and velocity of the particles relative to the center of mass. Let the system of particles P, i=1...,n be located at the coordinates
Angular velocity particle moves around the origin in a circle; but when there is no cross-radial component, it moves in a straight line from the origin. Since radial motion leaves the angle unchanged, only the cross-radial component of linear velocity contributes to angular velocity. The angular velocity "ω" is the rate of change of angle with respect to time, which can be computed from the cross-radial velocity as: Here the cross-radial speed formula_13 is the signed magnitude of formula_11, positive for counter-clockwise motion, negative for clockwise. Taking polar coordinates for the linear velocity v gives magnitude "v" (linear speed) and angle "θ"