Question

A heavy particle of mass m falls freely near the earth's surface. What is the torque acting on this particle about a point 50 cm east to the line of motion? Does this torque produce any angular acceleration in the particle?

Answer 1

The torque acting on the particle about 50 cm away from the line of motion = mg*(0.50) N-m. Where m = mass of the particle in kg, g=acceleration due to gravity in m/s² and r = 50 cm = 0.50 m. 

This torque cannot produce any angular acceleration in the particle because there is no force in the opposite direction of the weight at 50 cm east of the line of motion. For a torque to be effective through a force, there must be equal and opposite non-linear force acting on the particle.