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--- 183_notes:examples:angular_momentum_of_halley_s_comet [2014/11/20 06:37] – pwirving
+++ 183_notes:examples:angular_momentum_of_halley_s_comet [2014/11/20 06:45] – pwirving
@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 $\left|\vec{L}_{trans,Sun}\right| = \left|\vec{r}_A\right|\left|\vec{v}\right|\left|m\right|\sin \theta$
+Substituting in for the known variables we get:
 $\mid\vec{L}_{trans,Sun}\mid$ = $(8.77$ x $10^{10}m)(2.2$ x $10^{14}kg)(5.46$ x $10^4m/s)sin 90^{\circ}$
+Solving for $\mid\vec{L}_{trans,Sun}\mid$ we get:
 $= 1.1$ x $10^{30}$ $kg \cdot m^2/s$
+In vector form $\vec{L}_{trans,Sun}$ is:
 $\vec{L}_{trans,Sun}$ = $\langle{0, 0, -1.1 x 10^30}\rangle$ $kg \cdot m^2/s$
-At location 2:
+The same step by step process is used to solve for $\vec{L}_{trans,Sun}$ at location 2:
 $\mid\vec{L}_{trans,Sun}\mid$ = $(1.19$ x $10^{12}m)(2.2$ x $10^{14}kg)(1.32$ x $10^4m/s)sin 17.81^{\circ}$
@@ Line 63: / Line 69: @@
 $\vec{L}_{trans,Sun}$ = $\langle{0, 0, -1.1 x 10^30}\rangle$ $kg \cdot m^2/s$
+Even in the highly elliptical orbit, the comet's translational angular momentum is constant throughout the orbit, despite the fact that it's position, its momentum, and the angle between them change continuously implying that angular momentum is a conserved quantity.