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Question 76 of 87

Q.Derive an expression for the work done by torque.

Tamil Nadu DgeTamil Nadu HSC First Year (DGE) Board 2024Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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Just as linear work is force times displacement, the work done by a torque is the torque multiplied by the angular displacement: W = τ Δθ.

Consider a rigid body free to rotate about a fixed axis. Let a tangential force Ft act on a particle of the body located at a perpendicular distance r from the axis.

When the body rotates through a small angle dθ, the particle moves through a small arc length ds = r dθ.

The small work done by the tangential force on this particle is:

dW = Ft · ds = Ft (r dθ) = (Ft r) dθ

But Ft r is exactly the magnitude of the torque τ about the axis (torque = force × perpendicular distance from axis, for the tangential component of force):

τ = Ft r

So:

dW = τ dθ

Total work done as the body rotates from angle θ1 to θ2:

W = ∫(θ1 to θ2) τ dθ

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