ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Lecture 15

Moment of Inertia

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

First Moment of an Area; Centroid of an Area

Consider an area A located in the xy plane.

x and y are coordinates of an element dA
Define the first moment of area A with
respect to the x axis

Q x ydA
A

Define the first moment of the area A with

respect to the y axis

Q y xdA
A

Qx and Qy may be positive, negative or zero

depending on the position of the coordinates
axes
Units of first moments
SI: m3 or mm3
US: ft3 or in3
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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

First Moment of an Area; Centroid of an Area

Centroid of the area

_ A is_defined as the point
C of coordinates xand ywhich satisfies the
equations
_
_

xdA A x

ydA A y

The first moments of the area A can be

expressed as
_

Qx A y

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

Qy Ax

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

First Moment of an Area; Centroid of an Area

When an area has an axis of symmetry,

the first moment of the area about that
axis is zero
Consider area A which is symmetric
with respect to the y axis
Every element of area dA of abscissa x
corresponds to an element of area dA of
abscissa x
_

Q y xdA A x 0
A _

x0

If an area A has an axis of symmetry

then its centroid C is located on that
axis

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

First Moment of an Area; Centroid of an Area

The centroid of a rectangular area

coincides with its geometric center.
Two axes of symmetry
The centroid of a circle coincides
with the center of the circle.
The centroid of the figure in lower
left can be located by symmetry.

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

First Moment and Centroid of a Composite Area

Divide area A into simple geometric

shapes.
Writing the first moment Qx of the
area with respect to the x axis for
component parts A1, A2, A3,
Q x ydA ydA ydA ydA
A

A1

A2

A3

Q x A1 y1 A2 y 2 A3 y 3
_

y1 , y 2 and y 3 represent the

ordinates of the centroids of the
component areas
Similar expression can be obtained
for Qy

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

First Moment and Centroid of a Composite Area

For an arbitrary number of

components areas:
_

Q x Ai y i AY ,

Q y Ai xi AX

The coordinates X and Y of the

centroid C of the composite
area:
_
_
Ai xi
Ai y i
X i
Y i
Ai
Ai
i

Where, the area A is the sum of

the component areas Ai

A Ai

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Second Moment or Moment of Inertia of an Area

Units of moments of inertia

- SI: m4 or mm4
- US: ft4 or in4

Consider area A located in the xy plane and

element dA of coordinates x and y.
The moment of inertia of area A with respect
to the x axis and moment of inertia of area A
with respect to the y axis are defined as
2
2
I x y dA I y x dA
A
A
The integrals are referred to as rectangular
moments of inertia
Each integral is actually a double integral.
Moments of inertia of an area are positive
quantities

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Polar Moment of Inertia and Radius of Gyration

Define the polar moment of inertia of the

area A with respect to point O:
2
J o dA
A
is the distance from O to the element dA
Relation between the polar moment of inertia
and the rectangular moments of inertia of
area A:

2
2
2
2
2
J o dA x y dA y dA x dA
A

2 x2 y 2
Note: r =

Jo Ix I y
The radii of gyration of an area A with
respect to the x axis, y axis and origin O:

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

Ix
,
A

Iy
A

Jo
A
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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Parallel Axis Theorem
Consider the centroidal x axis, the
axis parallel to the x axis which
passes through the centroid C of the
area:
2
2

I x y dA y d dA
A

2
2
I x y dA 2d ydA d dA

y y d
Consider the moment of inertia Ix
of an area A with respect to the x
axis.
2
I x y dA

y is the distance from an element

of area dA to that axis

First integral is the moment of inertia

of the area A with respect to the
centroidal x axis, I x
Second integral is the first moment
of the area A with respect to the
centroidal x axis and is equal to
zero.
The last integral is equal to the total
area A.
2

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

I x I x Ad

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Parallel Axis Theorem

A similar formula may be derived for the moment of inertia Iy of an

area with respect to an arbitrary y axis:

I y I y Ad

A formula may be derived for the polar moment of inertia Jo of an area

with respect to an arbitrary point O:
2

Ad
Jo J c

Parallel axis theorem may be use only if one of the two axes involved is
a centroidal axis.

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Moment of Inertia of a Composite Area

Consider a composite area A made of several

component parts A1, A2,.
The moment of inertia of A with respect to a
given axis is obtained by adding the moments
of inertia of the component areas with respect
to the same axis
2
I
I

A
d

x
x i
i
x i
Ix
i
i

2
I
y I A d

y
i
y
Iy i
i
i
i
i

Determine the moment of inertia I x of the area

shown with respect to the centroidal x axis:
Locate centroid
Compute moment of inertia
rectangular area A1
rectangular area A2
entire area A

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

1. Determine the location of the centroid.
2. Calculate the moment of inertia about
the centroidal x axis.

All dimensions are in mm.

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

1. Determine the location of the centroid.
2. Calculate the moment of inertia about
the centroidal x axis.

All dimensions are in mm.

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids

Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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Department of Mechanical Engineering - A. Loos

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