Question

Differentiate between a particle and a rigid body.

Answer 1

Answer:

A rigid body, is basically a body where the particles inside that body are assumed to be completely stationary. Therefore, the difference is that a particle is something we assume to have no internal structure(elementary), where as a rigid body does have an internal structure or composite particles.

Answer 2

One of the main difference between a rigid body and a particle is that a rigid body can undergo two types of motion which include rotational and translational motion whereas a particle can undergo only one type of motion i.e translational motion.

• Rigid body is a body that does not get deformed or change its shape even due to the action of any external forces or loads.
• In case of Rigid body, the distance remains constant between any of the two points when the rigid body is under the action of loads.
• A particle is a body which has a immeasurably small volume and undergo only translational motion while concentrated to a point.

Hence, the rigid body and particle has a difference of rotational motion as both bodies show translational motion but only rigid body show rotational motion.