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To: Physicist
Angular velocity is the angle swept out per unit time, rather than a distance per unit time.

Yes there is motion, as I said something spinning, spins. But it spins in relation to something. To what is the angle measured? It is external to the object in question. The whole point of this exercise is to determine why something would spin. I am essentially saying that the impetus is external to the body. IOW gravitational forces directed towards a central point is not enough to impart angular momentum to the body in question. I believe it must come from something external to the mentioned body.

5,276 posted on 01/16/2003 6:27:32 PM PST by AndrewC
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To: AndrewC
But it spins in relation to something. To what is the angle measured? It is external to the object in question.

Of course. I suggest you read up on Mach's principle. Once you have digested that, you might move on to frame dragging and the Lense-Thirring effect.

The whole point of this exercise is to determine why something would spin.

That's a different question. Something spins because something has transferred angular momentum to it. It's like asking why something would be electrically charged.

I am essentially saying that the impetus is external to the body. IOW gravitational forces directed towards a central point is not enough to impart angular momentum to the body in question.

Again, gravitational forces do not impart angular momentum to a collapsing body. The angular momentum it has at the beginning is the angular momentum it has at the end.

5,282 posted on 01/16/2003 7:08:48 PM PST by Physicist
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