Session Code: MON-FC | Submitting Committee:Committee on History & Philosophy of Physics / Co-Sponsoring Committee:

Moderator: Toby Dittrich / Co-Organizer:

Historically, in introductory physics, angular displacement has been treated as a scalar quantity
and quaternions have been used, more recently, in advanced applications. Only once in an
engineering text 1 in 1905 has a vector definition of angular displacement been presented. This
Topical Discussion (involving the audience) is designed to explore the questions arising from the
current use of the scalar definition of angular displacement. Typical questions are: 1) How can
the time derivative of a scalar quantity be a vector? 2) Does the apparent difference in
the appearance of a rotating object (typically a textbook) when rotated in two angular
displacements in different successive orders truly mean that finite angular displacements are
not commutative? 3) If infinitesimal angular displacements are commutative, how can finite
angular displacements not be commutative? and 4) Would there be any negative consequences
to physics pedagogy or teachings if the vector definition of angular displacement were adopted
for general use in introductory and advanced rotational theory? Discussion of these questions
should lead to a very interesting session, so please attend and plan to contribute in a brief and
succent way so as to make for efficient use of time.

Panelist include: Wolfgang Bauer, Joe Heafner and Toby Dittrich

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