Past exam of the physics 1 paper of the University of Oxford / 2014 resit / 10

Conservation of angular momentum means that the total angular momentum of a system about a chosen fixed origin in an inertial frame stays constant. Its dynamical condition isInternal torques cancel for the complete isolated mechanical system. If only the component of external torque about an axis vanishes, only that angular momentum component is necessarily conserved. The skater's upright spin uses this axial statement: vertical weight and support provide negligible vertical-axis torque, and frictional torque is neglected. The skater need not conserve rotational kinetic energy while changing the internal configuration.

The uniform cylindrical torso contributes $I_c=M{r}^2/2=50(0.20{)}^2/2=1.00\mathrm{kg}{\mathrm{m}}^2$. Adding both arm point masses about the same vertical axis givesWith initial angular frequency ${\omega }_i=2\pi \mathrm{rad}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$, conservation of angular momentum gives $I_i{\omega }_i=I_f{\omega }_f$. ThereforeThis corresponds to $3.47788$ rotations per second; it is important not to confuse that frequency with the requested angular frequency.

Using rotational kinetic energy $K=I{\omega }^2/2$ at the two steady endpoint configurations,At fixed angular momentum $J$, $K=J^2/(2I)$ increases when the moment of inertia decreases. The skater supplies work by pulling the arms inward; chemical energy in the muscles is converted into additional rotational kinetic energy, with possible extra dissipation in a real skater. This does not require an external axial torque.

For the ideal rotating point masses, an inward radial force supplies the required centripetal acceleration. During contraction both that inward force and the radial displacement point inward, so their scalar product gives positive work. At the initial and final steady configurations radial motion has ceased; any transient radial kinetic energy must also be included in a full intermediate-time balance. The quoted difference compares the rotational endpoint energies only.