Momentenvektor

Momentenvektor, also known as angular momentum vector, is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the rotational analogue of linear momentum. It is a vector quantity, meaning it possesses both magnitude and direction. The magnitude of the momentenvektor represents the amount of rotational motion an object has, while its direction is along the axis of rotation.

For a point mass, the momentenvektor is defined as the cross product of the position vector from the origin to the mass and its linear momentum vector. Mathematically, it is expressed as L = r x p, where L is the momentenvektor, r is the position vector, and p is the linear momentum vector (p = mv). For a rigid body, the momentenvektor is the sum of the momentenvektors of all its constituent particles. Alternatively, it can be expressed as the product of the moment of inertia tensor and the angular velocity vector, Iω.

The momentenvektor is a conserved quantity in the absence of external torques, analogous to the conservation of linear momentum in the absence of external forces. This means that if no net external torque acts on a system, its total momentenvektor remains constant. This principle is crucial in understanding the motion of planets, the spinning of a figure skater, and many other rotational phenomena in physics. The direction of the momentenvektor is typically determined by the right-hand rule.