Why does the axis follow the half angle rule?

Rotations are very different from translations.

For translations

pos = § vel (where § is the integral)

For rotations

q = § w q/2 (where q is the angular position and w is the angular velocity)

Thus to keep position (q) on LP (torsion = 0) velocity (w) must tilt out of Listing's plane by the half angle rule


Copyright © 1996 Tutis Vilis and Douglas Tweed
University of Western Ontario
London Ontario Canada
Updated October 28, 2005

Comments welcome. Email to tutis.vilis@schulich.uwo.ca