The Physics of That Spinning Hug in Dua Lipa’s Music Video

The Physics of That Spinning Hug in Dua Lipa’s Music Video

I truly don’t know mighty about Dua Lipa—nonetheless I truly carry out know something about physics. The dancing in this tune video makes spend of some frigid physics for some truly attention-grabbing results. On this case, the dancers are acting on a rotating platform. This permits them to carry out some moves that seem impossible. One dancer lifts the opposite and leans abet—very a long way. You would possibly perhaps possibly contemplate the two would bright tip over and fall, nonetheless they devise now not.

The pass happens at about 2: 40 in the video.

In advise to in actuality stamp this pass, we must always always see at some standard physics. Let’s open up with an object in equilibrium. In physics, equilibrium device that an object has zero acceleration (linear equilibrium) and nil angular acceleration (rotational equilibrium). Here is an example—a regular human standing up straight on a regular and non-rotating flooring.

Illustration: Rhett Allain

Yes, standard humans invent now not stand spherical on one foot, nonetheless I needed a stress-free human. For the reason that human has a nil acceleration, the whole pressure need to moreover be zero. That is straight from Newton’s 2nd law, which states:

Illustration: Rhett Allain

For this stress-free human, there are two forces. The gravitational pressure pulls straight down and appears to be like to pull on a particular point on the human that we call the center of mass. Yes, technically, all formula of the physique luxuriate in mass and are therefore pulled all of the model down to the Earth. Nevertheless mathematically, you would possibly as well calculate the whole gravitational pressure as though it had been acting at bright one point. For the usual human, that center of mass is someplace spherical your belly button. The choice pressure is the pressure from the flooring pushing up. Since or now not it is an interplay between the foot and the flooring, or now not it is well-known to keep the pressure at the contact point. Within the intention above, I labeled this as FN where the N denotes “standard.” We call this the usual pressure since or now not it is perpendicular (standard) to the flooring. Nevertheless the usual pressure and the gravitational pressure need to be equal in magnitude in advise for the person to be in equilibrium.

Now for the opposite segment of equilibrium, rotational equilibrium. For the human standing on one foot, this device that the stress-free person would now not rotate. Honest appreciate linear equilibrium device zero procure pressure, rotational equilibrium device zero procure torque. Torque is de facto a rotational pressure. Whereas you push on a door to open it, you exert a torque that causes it to head from now not rotating to rotating (opening). The cost of a torque relies on three issues:

  • The magnitude of a pushing or pulling pressure (appreciate your hand pushing on the door).
  • The distance from the pressure to the point of rotation (distance from the door hinge to your hand). We gradually call this the torque arm.
  • The sine of the angle (θ) between the torque arm and the pressure. Whereas you push perpendicular to the door, this angle would be 90 degrees.

So, as an equation the torque would possibly perhaps even be expressed as the next formula. We spend the Greek letter tau (τ) for torque.

Illustration: Rhett Allain

It’s somewhat easy to contemplate about that the procure torque for the human on one foot is zero. Whereas you desire the foot as the point of rotation, each the usual pressure and gravitational pressure luxuriate in a nil torque arm and luxuriate in zero torque. Since zero plus zero equals zero, the whole torque is zero.

Immense, now let’s spend these same solutions to point to why you would possibly as well’t hug somebody while leaning wide a long way abet (unless you would possibly as well very effectively be on an superior rotating platform). And not using a doubt, bright to make issues more uncomplicated I’m going to method the forces on a single human that’s bright doing a wide lean abet.

Illustration: Rhett Allain

Even if these two forces (gravitational and standard) luxuriate in the identical magnitudes, the whole torque can also now not be zero. The utilization of the foot contact as the point of rotation, the usual pressure has zero torque (torque arm of zero), nonetheless the gravitational pressure does certainly luxuriate in a non-zero torque. The whole torque will motive this satisfied leaning human to tip over and hit the ground. Now a sad human. Unhappy human on the ground.

Then what the heck keeps these dancers from falling over? The resolution is a unfounded pressure. Yes, a pressure that’s now not truly truly a pressure nonetheless as one more a unfounded pressure. Oh, you furthermore mght can luxuriate in never heard of a unfounded pressure? Successfully, maybe that’s bright, nonetheless I am sure you furthermore mght can luxuriate in felt a unfounded pressure.

Take into consideration the next concern. You would possibly perhaps possibly also very effectively be sitting in your car at a red gentle (the auto is now not always truly spirited). At this moment, there are bright two forces acting on you. There is the downward pulling gravitational pressure and the upward pressure from the seat. As a consequence of you don’t appear to be accelerating, these two forces luxuriate in equal and opposite magnitudes.

Oh, nonetheless wait! There is that this goofy trying car in the lane subsequent to you. The gentle turns green, so that you just hit the gas and creep (safely and inside the posted tempo limits for sure). What happens subsequent? You feel it, correct form? There is some pressure pushing you abet into your seat as you creep. It feels appreciate the “weight of the acceleration” or something, correct form? That is continuously Einstein’s equivalence theory. It states which you would possibly as well’t advise the distinction between an acceleration and a gravitational pressure. So, in a sense this pressure you would possibly as well very effectively be feeling is as true as gravity—as a long way as you would possibly as well advise.

The connection between forces and acceleration (Newton’s 2nd law) ideal works in a non-accelerating reference physique. Whereas you fall a ball in this accelerating car, or now not it will pass as though there used to be some pressure pushing it in the opposite manner as the acceleration of the auto. We are able to add a “unfounded pressure” that’s proportional to the acceleration of the auto and dispute—Newton’s 2nd law works one more time. It’s truly rather precious.

Wager what? A rotating platform hastens. Truly, any object spirited in a circle hastens. Acceleration is defined as the rate of swap of velocity (in calculus, this would possibly be the derivative of velocity with respect to time). Nevertheless velocity is a vector. Which device that spirited to the left is diversified than spirited to the ideal form with the identical tempo. Truly an object spirited at a relentless tempo nonetheless changing route is a changing velocity. So, handing over a circle is certainly an acceleration. We call this “centripetal” acceleration—which actually device “center pointing” acceleration. Yes, the acceleration for an object spirited in a circle facets in the direction of the center of that circle.

The magnitude of this acceleration relies on two issues: the rate of the thing (the magnitude of the velocity) and the radius of the circular motion. In most cases or now not it is precious to write down the centripetal acceleration by manner of the angular velocity (ω) as one more, since all facets on a rotating platform luxuriate in the identical angular velocity nonetheless now not the identical tempo (facets farther from the center luxuriate in to pass sooner).

Illustration: Rhett Allain

We are prepared. Ready for the impossible seeming physics of a dancer on a rotating platform. Let’s open up with a intention.

Illustration: Rhett Allain

There is quite a bit going on here. Nevertheless truly, there are ideal two new forces. First, there would possibly be the unfounded pressure. At this prompt, the center of the circular motion is to the ideal form. Which device the centripetal acceleration is moreover in the direction of the ideal form. So, if we want to desire demonstrate of the rotating dancer as our reference physique, there would possibly want to be a unfounded pressure pushing to the left (opposite the acceleration). Nevertheless wait! Did you leer that I build a brand new green dot for the unfounded pressure? Yes, that’s legit. Technically, all formula of the human are accelerating. Nevertheless bright appreciate the gravitational pressure would possibly perhaps even be calculated as though it had been acting at one point (the center of mass), the identical is bright for the unfounded pressure—it feels the identical as gravity per Einstein.

Alternatively, the Earth’s gravitational pressure is somewhat mighty constant. It would now not noticeably swap as you pass up or down. That is now not bright for the unfounded rotational pressure. As you earn nearer to the center of the rotating platform, the acceleration (and thus the unfounded pressure) decrease all of the model down to zero at the true center. So, the single point that acts as the “center of acceleration” would be a runt bit farther a long way from the axis of rotation. I will imply you would possibly as well calculate the true keep of this center of acceleration as a homework field. (It relies on the density distribution of the human, the angular velocity of the platform, and the intention of the human.)

So, then why would now not the dancer fall over? Within the rotating reference physique, you would possibly as well contemplate about that there would possibly be moreover a torque produced by the unfounded pressure. The utilization of the foot contact as the pivot point, the gravitational pressure causes a clockwise torque, nonetheless the unfounded pressure produces a counterclockwise torque. With these two torques, or now not it is which you would possibly as well imagine that they add up to zero torque in dispute that the human stays at that lean angle. Pointless to train, if the platform rotates too rapid, the torque from the unfounded pressure will motive the person to rotate out and a long way from the platform. If the human leans too a long way, the gravitational torque will more than seemingly be bigger—then they’ll discontinue up falling down.

Nevertheless wait! There is one more pressure in that intention—friction. Since there’s a unfounded pressure pushing sideways now, there need to be a frictional pressure pushing abet to make the procure pressure zero. Without that frictional pressure, the dancer would bright hump correct form off the rotating platform. Our standard model of the frictional pressure has the magnitude proportional to the usual pressure the utilization of the next relationship.

Illustration: Rhett Allain

On this expression, μs is the coefficient of friction that relies on the two provides interacting (appreciate rubber and wood). This frictional pressure is whatever worth it wants to be in advise to forestall the person’s foot from sliding—up to a pair maximum worth. That’s why there’s a now not up to or equal to envision in there. Nevertheless now we can spend this to earn a tough estimate of the associated price of this frictional pressure (and coefficient) wanted to forestall the dancer from slipping. And not using a doubt, I bright need a worth for the angular velocity and the rotational distance.

Taking a see at the video, the dancers make a quarter rotation in about 0.8 seconds. (I aged Tracker Video Diagnosis to earn the time.) From this, I earn an angular velocity of 0.98 radians per 2nd. For the radius of rotation, I’m going to approximate the center of acceleration at spherical 1 meter. This provides me the next two equations for the procure pressure in the x and y instructions (in the rotating physique).

Illustration: Rhett Allain

The utilization of these two equations, I’m able to earn the next expression for the coefficient.

Illustration: Rhett Allain

Take a look at that the mass cancels—that bright makes issues more uncomplicated. If I build in my estimations for the radius and the angular velocity (and spend a gravitational constant of g = 9.8 m/s2), I earn a coefficient of static friction worth of spherical 0.1. Be wide awake, here is for the maximum frictional pressure that can occur between the dancer’s shoe and platform. The coefficient can also very effectively be bigger than this worth, nonetheless if or now not it is less there will more than seemingly be a traipse and fall. Nevertheless if he is carrying rubber footwear, the dancer can with out bother earn a coefficient of static friction over 0.5 to forestall a traipse. So, it appears to be like comparable to you invent now not even need rubber footwear, nonetheless you proceed to need some superior physics for this dance pass.

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