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A couple produces

Asked in CBSE AIPMT 1997 · Torque and moment of a force

Answer: (4) purely rotational motion

Step-by-step solution

Idea: a couple is a pair of equal, opposite, non-collinear forces, so treat force and torque separately.

Net force: ⃗F+(-⃗F)=0, so ⃗a_cm=0 and the centre of mass does not accelerate.

Net torque about any point: τ=F× (perpendicular separation of the two lines of action), which is not zero.

Zero net force with non-zero net torque gives angular acceleration and no linear acceleration.

So a couple produces purely rotational motion.

Why the other options are wrong

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