NEET 2012 Physics question

When a mass is rotating in a plane about a fixed point, its angular momentum is directed along:

(1)the tangent to the orbit
(2)a line perpendicular to the plane of rotationCorrect
(3)the line making an angle of to the plane of rotation
(4)the radius

Answer: (2)

Solution

The angular momentum is . A cross product is perpendicular to both of its factors, i.e. to the position vector (radius) and to the momentum (tangent to the orbit); both lie in the plane of rotation. Therefore is

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Question ID VK-091265