Torque calculator is used to find the value of torque which arises from a rotating object. Try to imagine an object which rotates around a specific point. This is the pivot point. If you happen to exert any force (torque) from a distance away from the pivot point, even though the force acts along a straight line, the object will start rotating. Let’s cover details about torque, how to use this calculator, how to find torque using the torque formula, and more.
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How to use the torque calculator?
This is a simple online calculator which only requires two values for it to perform calculations. It’s easy to use, accurate, and easy to understand as well. Here are the steps to follow when using this online torque calculator:
- First, enter the value of the Distance and choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.
- Then enter the value of the Force and choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.
- After entering both values, the calculator generates the value of Torque for you automatically.
What is torque in physics?
Torque refers to a measure of a force acting on any object which causes the object to start rotating. The object rotates around a certain point known as the pivot point. The distance from the point where torque acts to the pivot point is the “moment arm” or “r.”
This moment art is also a vector and it points from the rotation axis to the point where torque acts. In other words, torque refers to the product between the moment arm “r” and the force vector “a” which is the angle between F and r.
When you use the right-hand rule, you can locate the direction of the torque vector. To do this, place your fingers in the direction of r. Then curl your fingers to the direction of F. After doing this, your thumb will point in torque vector’s direction.
What causes torque?
As aforementioned, torque refers to a measure of any given force which causes an object to start rotating around an axis. In linear kinematics, the force causes the object to accelerate. Then torque is the one which causes the object to have an angular acceleration.
Torque is a kind of vector quantity. The direction of this torque vector would depend on the direction of the force on its axis. Without even realizing it, you’re using torque every day. Every time you open a door, this gives you an insightful understanding of torque.
When you open any door, you tend to push on the part of the door that’s farthest from its hinges. This is because when you push on the part of the door that’s close to the hinges, you need more force to open it. Although you achieve the same goal either way, most people prefer to use less force. This is why you would see the handles of doors on this location.
Torque can either be dynamic or static. In racing cars, the drive shaft which accelerates from the starting line carries a dynamic torque. This is because it produces an angular acceleration of the racecar’s wheels given that it accelerates along the road or track.
Conversely, static torque refers to a force which doesn’t produce an acceleration that’s angular. When someone pushes open a closed door, he applies static torque to it since the door it’s rotating around its hinges despite the force that’s applied to it. When you pedal a bike at a constant speed, you’re also applying static torque since you’re not accelerating.
A lot of people get confused with the terminology used to describe torque. Sometimes, engineers may utilize the terms “moment or force” or “moment” with the term torque interchangeably. But as long as you understand the principle behind torque, you won’t get confused easily.
How is torque different from force?
Let’s explain this concept in layman’s terms to make it easier to understand. For this, let’s have an example. For instance, there are two men on bicycles. The first man drives the bicycle while the second man pushes the bicycle from behind. In this case:
- The first man who pedals the bicycle applies torque as he accelerates as it provides a rotational or circular movement.
- The second man who pushed the bicycle uses energy to do the work uses force. Here, you can see that it requires work. However, not every force necessarily does work.
Force can exist on its own or as a torque. Some people consider torque as the counterpart of force in an angular motion. Torque has N-m as a unit of measurement while force has N as a unit of measurement. These are the common differences between torque and force.
What is the formula of torque?
The tendency of a given object to rotate or torque depends on a number of factors which you can see in the torque formula:
τ = r * F * sinΘ
where:
r refers to the lever arm or the distance between the point of force application and the pivot point
F refers to the force that acts the object
Θ refers to the angle between the lever arm and force vector. Typically, the value of this is 90°
τ refers to the torque
Let’s go back to the example of the door. In this case, the location of the pivot point is where the hinges of the door are. The closer you place your hand near the hinges of the door, the more force you need to push it open. But if you use the handle, the lever arm increases which makes it easier to open the door.
How do you increase torque in physics?
This would depend on what you want to increase the torque on. For instance, if you need to tighten a bolt and you need more torque, you should pick a tool with a longer arm as this increases the torque.
But in cases where you need to increase the torque of motors which are already running, you need to include a gear ratio which results in the decrease in the rotational speed while the torque increases.
