Walt wrote:
(snip)
Force implies torque, torque implies force. Where there is one there is
the other *by definition*. And since we agree that it's possible to
have force without motion it is also possible to have torque without
motion.
No I don't.
http://www.lightandmatter.com/html_b...ch05/ch05.html
Torque distinguished from force
Of course a force is necessary in order to create a torque --- you can't
twist a screw without pushing on the wrench --- but force and torque are
two different things. One distinction between them is direction. We use
positive and negative signs to represent forces in the two possible
directions along a line. The direction of a torque, however, is
clockwise or counterclockwise, not a linear direction.
And then it goes on to add the leverage component of torque.
And I'm not real happy with this guy's definitions either. It feels
like he is confusing force and work/energy by saying, "We use
positive and negative signs to represent forces in the two
possible directions along a line." Which says to me that "force"
as he is using it, has motion/distance associated with it.