Muhammad Nadeem

School of Electrical Engineering &Computer Sciences

ma F =
Rotational Motion and Moment of
Inertia

= +

2
2
hf E =
Muhammad Nadeem
School of Electrical Engineering &Computer Sciences
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
2
mc E =
dt dB E / =
ma F =
Physics
20th Century
21st Century
t
i V
x

= +

h h
2
2
2
hf E =
o
/ = E
mv P =
P r L = h P x.
0 = B
dt dE j B /
o o o
=
P
h
=
h
G
k
o

R
c
2 0
0

< r
) , ( r P
y

Polar Coordinates
A useful 2-D coordinate system for the study of physical systems,
being at rest or in motion, having polar symmetries.
**Review
2 0
r
) , ( r P

sin
cos
r y
r x
=
=
) / ( tan
1
2 2 2
x y
y x r

=
+ =

muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
r
rdrd da =

rd r dr ds + =

**Review
j dy i dx ds

+ =

**In 2-D Cartesian coordinates,

line element and area are:
dxdy da =
j i

&

&

r
What is common and what is different between unit vectors in
Cartesian coordinates and polar coordinates ??
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
6th sense of Differentiation!!!!!
t t t f 2 ) (
2
+ = ?????
) (
=
dt
t df
IF Then

**Review

) (
2
t r t t f + =

?????
) (
=

dt
t df
IF Then
j t i t t f

2

) (
2
+ =

?????
) (
=

dt
t df
IF Then
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Formulism of rotational Analysis
I
dt
d
/
2
2

=
dt
d
=

mr
dt
r d
m
dt
ds
m mv p
t
= = = =
) ( ) ( . t Ig E P =
) (t
Dynamics
**Review
dt
= mr
dt
m
dt
m mv p
t
= = = =
2
2
2
1
2
1
.

= =
dt
d
I I E K
rot

Statics
0 =

r
I mr mr r mv r L
t
= = = =
2
t
v r
ext
dt
dL
=
So the most important and basic
parameters of rotation are and I.
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Rotational Kinematics
Radian: One radian is the angle subtended by an arc length equal to
the radius of the arc.
r
s
=
o
360 2 = rad
rad 180 / 1 =
o
Angular Displacement:
=
**Review
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
i f
=
Angular Velocity:
t = /
Angular Acceleration:
t = /
2
2
1
t t
i
+ =
t
i f
+ =
2 2
2
i f
=
Constant angular acceleration
**Review
When a rigid object is rotating about a fixed axis, every particle
on the object rotates through the same angle in a given time
interval and has the same angular speed and the same angular
acceleration. That is, the quantities , and characterize the
rotational motion of the entire rigid object as well as individual
particles in the object. Using these quantities, we can greatly
simplify the analysis of rigid-object rotation.
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
2
i f
=
Angular Vs Linear

r
dt
d
r
dt
ds
v
t
= = =

r
dt
d
r
dt
dv
a
t
= = =
The total linear acceleration vector at the point P is
**Review
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
2
2
r
r
v
a a
c r
= = =
The total linear acceleration vector at the point P is
where the magnitude of ar is the centripetal
acceleration ac .

t r
a r a a + =
r
2 4 2 2 4 2 2 2
+ = + = + = r r r a a a
t r
Rotational Kinetic Energy
Translational kinetic energy of an object is the energy
associated with its motion through space.
An object rotating about a fixed axis remains stationary in
space, so there is no translational kinetic energy associated
with translational motion. with translational motion.
The individual particles making up the rotating object,
however, are moving through spacethey follow circular
paths. Consequently, there should be kinetic energy
associated with rotational motion, called rotational kinetic
energy.
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Let us consider an object as a collection of particles and assume that it
rotates about a fixed z axis with an angular speed . Lets consider a
particle of mass mi located at a distance ri from axis of rotation. Each
such particle has kinetic energy determined by its mass and tangential
speed.
2
2
1
i i i
v m K =
The total kinetic energy of the rotating rigid
object is the sum of the kinetic energies of object is the sum of the kinetic energies of
the individual particles:
2 2 2
2
1
2
1

= =
i
i i
i
i i R
r m v m K
2 2
2
1

=

i
i i R
r m K
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
I r m
i
i i
=

2
Where is called moment of inertia. So
The moment of inertia is a measure of the resistance of an object
to changes in its rotational motion, just as mass is a measure of the
tendency of an object to resist changes in its linear motion.
2
2
1
I K
R
=
tendency of an object to resist changes in its linear motion.
There is one major difference between mass and moment of
inertia. Mass is an inherent property of an object.The moment of
inertia of an object depends on your choice of rotation axis. Thus,
there is no single value of the moment of inertia for an object.
There is a minimum value of the moment of inertia, which is that
calculated about an axis passing through the center of mass of the
object.
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Moment of Inertia
We can evaluate the moment of inertia of an extended rigid object
by imagining the object to be divided into many small volume
elements, each of which has mass mi 0.
dm r m r Lim I
i
i i
m
i

= =

2 2
0
Above expression for moment of inertia can be written in terms of Above expression for moment of inertia can be written in terms of
mass density rather than mass:
V m/ =
dV dm =
dV r I

=
2
A m/ =
dA dm =
dA r I

=
2
L m/ =
dL dm =
dL r I

=
2
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Consider a rigid body consisting of two particles of mass
m1=m2=m connected by massless rod of length L as
shown in figure below.
(a) What is rotational inertia of body about an axis
passing through the COM and perpendicular to rod?
(b) What is rotational inertia of body about an axis
passing through the left end and perpendicular to rod? passing through the left end and perpendicular to rod?
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
1
m
2
m
1
m
2
m
(a)
2
2 2
2
2 2
2
1 1
2
2
1
) 2 / ( ) 2 / (
mL
L m L m
r m r m r m I
i
i i
=
+ =
+ = =

(b)
2
2 2
2
2 2
2
1 1
2
) ( ) 0 (
mL
L m m
r m r m r m I
i
i i
=
+ =
+ = =

muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Find the moment of inertia of a uniform thin hoop of mass
M and radius R about an axis perpendicular to the plane of
the hoop and passing through its center
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
dm r I

=
2
Because the hoop is thin, all mass elements dm are the same distance
r = R from the axis, so
M R dm R I
2 2
= =

M R dm R I
2 2
= =

Note that this moment of inertia is the same as that of a single particle
of mass M located a distance R from the axis of rotation.
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Calculate the moment of inertia of a uniform rigid rod of
length L and mass m about an axis perpendicular to the
rod (the y axis) and passing through its center of mass.
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
dL r dm r I

= =
2 2
Here
L m/ = dx dL =
2 /
2 /
2
dx
L
m
x I
L
L
=

x r =
2
2 /
2 /
3
2 /
12
1
3
mL
x
L
m
L
L
L
L
=

muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Calculate the moment of inertia of a thin plate, in the shape of a
right triangle, about an axis that passes through one end of the
hypotenuse and is parallel to the opposite leg of the triangle, as in
Figure. Let m represent the mass of the triangle and L the length
of the base of the triangle perpendicular to the axis of rotation.
Let h represent the height of the triangle and w the thickness
of the plate, much smaller than L or h.
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Lets consider a small strip of height y at a distance x from the axis of
rotation
L
xh
y
L
h
x
y
= =

= = =
L
ywdx x dV r dm r I
0
2 2 2

From similar triangles
L
y
L x
= =
hLw
m
hLw
m
V
m 2
2 /
= = =
2
2 2
2
0
3
2
0
2
mL
dx x
L
m
wdx
L
xh
hLw
m
x I
L L
= =

=

So
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Parallel Axis Theorem
The moments of inertia of rigid objects with simple geometry (high
symmetry) are relatively easy to calculate provided the rotation axis
coincides with an axis of symmetry (axis passing through COM).
The calculation of moments of inertia about an arbitrary axis can be
cumbersome, however, even for a highly symmetric object.
Fortunately, use of parallel-axis theorem often simplifies the
calculation. Suppose the moment of inertia about an axis through the calculation. Suppose the moment of inertia about an axis through the
center of mass of an object is ICM. Then moment of inertia about any
axis parallel to and a distance D away from this axis is:
2
MD I I
cm
+ =
Where M is mass of object
CM
D
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
Calculate the moment of inertia of a uniform rigid rod of
length L and mass m about an axis perpendicular to the
rod (parallel to y axis) and passing through its one end as
shown.
y
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
x
0
L
I
Moment of inertia of rod about an axis perpendicular to the rod and
passing through its Cm is
2
12
1
mL I
cm
=
Moment of inertia of rod about required axis would be
2
) 2 / (L m I I + =
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk
x
0
L
I
cm
I
2
) 2 / (L m I I
cm
+ =
2 2
4
1
12
1
mL mL I + =
2
3
1
mL I =
muhammad.nadeem@seecs.edu.pk