Oxford Training Camp – Rotation Questions
1. Calculate the position of the centre of mass of the weather vane shown below.
Figure 1. Weather vane.
It consists of an equilateral triangle of side 18 cm, a rectangle 10 cm by 100 cm, and a
square of side 30 cm (the diagram is not to scale).
The use of the parallel axes theorem is very important for determining the Moments of Inertia
of many symmetric shapes about an axis which is not through a centre of symmetry.
The parallel axis theorem states that the moment of inertia about an axis a perpendicular
distance from a parallel axis through the centre of mass is given by = + where
is the moment of inertia through the centre of mass of the body of mass .
When using it you have to be aware of the trivial fact that the dimensions of the object need to
be carefully considered. For example, a rod of length and mass swinging about one end
can also be viewed as two rods of lengths /2 and masses /2 when rotating about the centre;
a simple statement but a bit of a rabbit hole for the unwary.
2. Calculate the moment of inertia about one end of a beam of mass M and length L. then use
the parallel axes theorem to determine the moment of inertia about its centre. Confirm by
direct calculation of the moment of inertia of a rod of total mass M and length R about its
centre.
In rotation, the "suvat" equations or the equations of motion for constant acceleration can be
replaced by their angular equivalents. In addition, = has an equivalent in = =
̇ = ̈ . Similarly, momentum, p = mv has an equivalent in angular momentum, a conserved
quantity in the absence of external torques (Γ). So we have two sets of equations when we are
considering rotating systems; the linear F = ma and = ̈ , along with = and =
.
3. The moment of inertia of a solid flywheel about its axis is 0.10 kg m2. It is set in rotation
by applying a tangential force of 19.6 N with a string wound round its circumference. The
radius of the flywheel is 0.10 m.
a. Calculate the angular acceleration of the flywheel.
b. What would be the angular acceleration if a mass of 2 kg were hung from the end of
the string?
4. A uniform beam of mass and of length is supported at the ends on two pivots A and B.
When pivot B is suddenly removed, calculate the initial force provided by pivot A.
A B
Figure 2. Uniform beam supported on two pivots.
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5. Comment: which takes less time; to roll a sphere down to the bottom of a sloping runway
or to let it slide down on a runway of negligible friction?
In the light of this, we should be able to consider the general result for objects rolling down
sloping runways. An object rolling will have a moment of inertia, about its centre given by an
equation of the form where is a numerical factor which depends on the shape and
mass distribution of the object, is its mass and is a relevant linear dimension.
Translational and Rotational KE
The following notes just emphasise the point about the energy, for example, being separated
into a rotational and translational KE. When an extended object is thrown into the air, the
Centre of Mass follows a parabolic trajectory identical to that followed by a particle of mass m,
whilst the object rotates about the centre of mass. The two motions can be treated quite
independently of each other.
Figure 3. A hammer thrown, and in free fall,
whilst rotating about its centre of mass.
6. A disc rolling along a horizontal surface at constant speed can be viewed in two inertial
reference frames; the centre of mass frame, in which the disc merely rotates about its centre
at a rate , and the lab frame in which the disk undergoes translation as well a rotation.
This is illustrated below.
t=0 time t
velocity v
a
θ
Pꞌ
a
s
P X
C
Figure 4. A point P' on a rolling circle tracing out a path (x, y) in space
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As the disc rolls to the right, the CM moves a distance s= and = = ̇=
In addition, we can see that the acceleration of the centre of mass would be given by ̇ = =
̇ = with being the angular acceleration. (In this example, = 0).
The coordinates of point Pꞌ are given by (confirm that you can see how these are obtained from
the figure)
= ( − sin )
= (1 − cos )
Determine ̇ , ̇ and also ̈ , ̈ with = . Tabulate the values of these quantities at =
0, , , . Mark on a circle arrows showing the ( , ) components of the velocities and
accelerations of the points on the circumference of the circle in terms of (= ).
=0 = 3
= =
2 2
̇
It can be seen that the contact point, C, is instantaneously zero and so as the CM is moving at
speed , the whole (rigid) disc is in rotation about point C. From the results in the table above,
confirm that this is in agreement at positions = 0, , , .
Hence the angular rate of rotation about stationary point C is = .
Now it can be determined what the linear speed is for any point either on the circumference r
within the disc should be. It will be the angular velocity multiplied by the distance to that
point, and the velocity will be perpendicular to the line from C to the point.
Figure 5. A rolling disc with an instantaneous stationary point C.
This shows the linear velocity of any point on the disc.
Now, if we look at the total energy of the rolling disc, the KE about point C is
1
KE =
2
3
Using the parallel axes theorem, = +
then
1 1 1 1
KE = + = +
2 2 2 2
So the total KE of the rolling disc can be modelled as the KE of translation plus the KE of
rotation.
= +
=0
C −
Figure 6. The rolling disc can be modelled as a translation of the CM and a rotation about the CM
7. Determine the time taken for a cylindrically symmetric mass with a moment of inertia
γMR2 where M is the mass, and R the maximum radius, to roll down a sloping runway of
length s and height h.
Here are several examples of moments of inertia for some common shapes. You would be
expected to remember those for a long thin rod, a sphere about a diameter, and a cylinder
about its central axis. You can calculate variations from the Parallel Axes theorem. You do
not need to know the Perpendicular axes Theorem).
Figure 7. Moments of inertia of a few common shapes with a high degree of
symmetry.
For angular momentum, the axis about which the angular momentum is taken is
important. If a rigid body of mass M is rotating at angular speed ω and its centre of mass is
moving at speed v, then about an axis through the centre of mass (and perpendicular to its plane
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of rotation) the angular momentum is given by Iω. If we take an axis parallel to this but
displaced by a distance r perpendicular to the direction of motion given by v, the angular
momentum about this axis is Iω + mvr.
Lo = I ω p = mv
r
L = Iω + mrv
Figure 8. Angular momentum of a spinning object about an axis
not through the CM.
8. A uniform circular disc of mass 20 kg and radius 0.5 m rotates freely in a vertical plane
about a horizontal axis with angular velocity 2π rad s-1. It is carefully lowered onto a
horizontal surface and simultaneously released so that it rolls along the surface without
sliding. What is its linear speed along the surface?
9. A solid sphere of mass M and radius R is rolls with a linear speed v on a horizontal surface
without slipping. What is the magnitude of the angular momentum of the sphere with
respect to a point along the path of the sphere on the surface?
As with examples of linear dynamics, we must distinguish those situations where and energy
approach is used and those where an (angular) momentum approach is taken. Sometime both
entities need to be used, but remember that mechanical energy is not usually conserved in
interactions and so a conservation term relating "before and after" is required and this is
usually the momentum/angular momentum. However, just as momentum is not conserved if
there is a resultant external force on the system, so angular momentum is not conserved if there
is an external torque acting, (but is so if the forces and torques are internal to the system).
10. A disc with a moment of inertia of Ib rotates about a vertical, frictionless axle with angular
velocity ωb . A second disc that has a moment of inertia of It and initially rotating with
angular velocity ωt drops onto the first cylinder, as shown below. Due to friction between
the surfaces, the two eventually reach the same angular velocity ωf.
a. Calculate ωf.
b. Show that the kinetic energy of the system decreases in this interaction and
calculate the ratio of the final rotational energy to the initial rotational energy.
It , ωt
Ib , ωb
Figure 9. Two discs spinning on a common axis.
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11. Two astronauts each having a mass of 80 kg are connected by a 10 m rope of negligible
mass. They are isolated in space, orbiting their centre of mass at speeds of 5.0 m s-1.
Calculate
a. The magnitude of the angular momentum of the system by treating the astronauts as
particles.
b. The rotational energy of the system.
c. By pulling on the rope, the astronauts shorten the distance between them to 5.0m.
What is the new angular momentum of the system?
d. What are their new linear speeds?
e. What is the new rotational energy of the system?
f. How much work is done by the astronauts in shortening the rope?
g. If the astronauts pull themselves slowly together, the work done at any instant is
against the centripetal force. If the force is integrated over the change in radius then
we get the work done. How does this compare with the answer to part (f)?
12. A uniform solid disk with a mass of 3.00 kg and a radius of 0.200 m rotates about a fixed
axis perpendicular to its face. If the angular speed is 6.00 rad s-1 about this axis, calculate
the angular momentum of the disk when the axis of rotation
a. Passes through its centre of mass
b. Passes through a point midway between the centre and the rim.
