By “asymmetric top” I mean a body whose three principal moments of inertia are unequal. While we often think of a “top” as a symmetric body spinning on a table, in this section the “top” will not nece...By “asymmetric top” I mean a body whose three principal moments of inertia are unequal. While we often think of a “top” as a symmetric body spinning on a table, in this section the “top” will not necessarily be symmetric, and it will not be in contact with any table, nor indeed subjected to any external forces or torques.
If it is possible to find a set of axes with respect to which the product moments F, G and H are all zero, these axes are called the principal axes of the body, and the moments of inertia with respect...If it is possible to find a set of axes with respect to which the product moments F, G and H are all zero, these axes are called the principal axes of the body, and the moments of inertia with respect to these axes are the principal moments of inertia.
The inertial properties of a body for rotation about a specific body-fixed location is defined completely by only three principal moments of inertia irrespective of the detailed shape of the body. As ...The inertial properties of a body for rotation about a specific body-fixed location is defined completely by only three principal moments of inertia irrespective of the detailed shape of the body. As a result, the inertial properties of any body about a body-fixed point are equivalent to that of an ellipsoid that has the same three principal moments of inertia. The symmetry properties of this equivalent ellipsoidal body define the symmetry of the inertial properties of the body.
