The angular momentum of a particle can be nonzero even if it moves in a straight line

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Angular momentum is given by $\vec{L} = \vec{r} \times \vec{p}$, where $\vec{r}$ is the position vector of the particle relative to a chosen origin, and $\vec{p}$ is its linear momentum. Even if a particle moves in a straight line, as long as its path is not directly towards or away from the chosen origin (i.e., $\vec{r}$ and $\vec{p}$ are not collinear), the cross product $\vec{r} \times \vec{p}$ will be nonzero, resulting in a nonzero angular momentum.

The Angular Momentum of a Particle Can Be Nonzero Even