[ODE] Brakes and rotational damping

[Chris Ledwith]

Chris Ledwith wrote:
> Matthew Harmon wrote:
>   
>> I guess my real question boils down to this:  Is there anything
>> fundamentally "wrong" with taking the angular velocity of a body, reducing
>> it, and putting it back?  It seems like a kludge, but that sort of how
>> brakes work in the real world.  They don't apply a "counter-torque" as such,
>> they bleed off momentum into heat.
>>
>>   
>>     
> Yes, this is caused by a torque. 
> torque=rotational_inertia*angular_acceleration, so torque is what 
> produces changes in rotational velocity. Google 'braking torque'
>
> -C
>   
Slight correction/clarification -- in the case of brake pads and rotors, 
it's really F=ma, where the force is applied tangentially to slow the 
rotor down. But torque is just the rotational analog of force, so the 
"torque equivalent" can be derived.

-C