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Inertia
Equipment:
per group: 2 stopwatches, 1 ruler, mass set, tape measure, meter stick, rotational
inertia mechanism
per table: string, scissors, mass balance
I = mi ri 2 = r 2 dm
i =1
where mi or dm is a mass element and r is the distance of that mass from the rotational axis.
In this lab you will use a wheel that consists of 3 uniform disks that share the same
principal axis. From the above equation, it can be shown that the moment of inertia for a
single uniform disk of mass M and radius R is Idisk = MR2. The total moment of inertia of
the wheel is simply the sum of the moments of each of the disks:
1
I wheel = M 1 R12 + M 2 R22 + M 3 R32
2
Since the wheel is constructed as a solid unit, it is not possible to
directly measure the mass of each of the individual disks;
however, given the density of the wheel using its entire mass and
volume, the mass of each disk can be expressed as Mi = Vi
(assuming uniform density). The volume of each disk is
2
Di
Vi = Li
2
In terms of D and L, the density of the wheel is then:
M
4M
=
=
V Li Di2
Therefore, the moment of inertia of the entire wheel can be expressed as:
I wheel =
1
Li Di4 or I wheel
32
i
LD
M
=
8 L D
i
4
i
2
i
[1]
II. Moment of Inertia from Dynamic Measurement. In this experiment, a mass hung
from a string connected to the rim of a wheel applies an external torque that makes the
wheel rotate.
R
F
Since the string is tangent to the rim of the wheel, the tension in the string acts
perpendicular to the radius of the wheel (refer to figure), so the torque produced by the
hanging mass is simply the product of the tension times this radius:
string = TR
Applying Newtons second law to the hanging mass, we have: mg T = ma
Therefore, the torque applied by the hanging mass via the string is: string = m( g a ) R
The wheel rotates about its principal axis on metal pin bearings that allow it to spin freely
but not completely without friction. The friction in these bearings produces a torque that
opposes the torque applied by the hanging mass. Newtons second law for the wheel is
then:
string friction = I
a
With a = R (why?), an alternative representation is:
string = I + friction
R
a
Equating the two expressions for string yields:
[2]
m(g a)R = I + friction
R
III. Procedure. You will do an experiment to both calculate the moment of inertia from
given disk parameters (Exploration 1), and also by doing a dynamic measurement of
acceleration (Exploration 2). Use your notebooks as needed to record data and perform
analysis. In Exploration 3, you will begin plotting data and analyzing in preparation for the
deliverable. The deliverable is a full lab report, with an analysis that requires Excel to fit
your data to a trendline model given by Equation [2]. From the trendline, determine the
moment of inertia of Exploration 2 and compare it to the calculated moment of inertia from
Exploration 1.
Exploration 1 Direct Calculation of Rotational Inertia (30 min)
The dimensions of the three disks are shown in the following table.
L1 (cm)
L2 (cm)
L3 (cm)
D1 (cm)
D2 (cm)
D3 (cm)
2.53 .01
2.58 .01
2.54 .01
7.64 .01
15.33 .02
5.08 .01
The total mass of the three disks combined is 4.9 0.1 kg.
Calculate the moment of inertia for the wheel using Eq. [1], and determine the
uncertainty in this value. This is an ideal opportunity to leverage Excel to do both the
calculation of the moment of inertia and its uncertainty.
Show and record the calculation in your notebook; be prepared to summarize this
analysis in the lab report.
Be prepared to analyze and discuss (in the lab report), the relative contributions of
each sub-disk to the total moment of inertia of the entire disk.