PARALLEL-AXIS THEOREM, RADIUS OF GYRATION &
MOMENT OF INERTIA FOR COMPOSITE AREAS
Todays Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Apply the parallel-axis theorem.
2. Determine the moment of inertia
(MoI) for a composite area.
Statics, Fourteenth Edition
R.C. Hibbeler
In-Class Activities:
Check Homework, if any
Reading Quiz
Applications
Parallel-Axis Theorem
Radius of Gyration
Method for Composite Areas
Concept Quiz
Group Problem Solving
Attention Quiz
Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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 READING QUIZ

1. The parallel-axis theorem for an area is applied between

A) An axis passing through its centroid and any corresponding
parallel axis.
B) Any two parallel axis.
C) Two horizontal axes only.
D) Two vertical axes only.
2. The moment of inertia of a composite area equals the ____
of the MoI of all of its parts.
A) vector sum
B) algebraic sum (addition or subtraction)
C) addition
D) product
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 APPLICATIONS

Cross-sectional areas of structural

members are usually made of
simple shapes or combination of
simple shapes. To design these
types of members, we need to
find the moment of inertia (MoI).

It is helpful and efficient if you can do a simpler method

for determining the MoI of such cross-sectional areas as
compared to the integration method.
Do you have any ideas about how this problem might be
approached?

Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 APPLICATIONS (continued)

This is another example of a structural

member with a composite cross-area.
Such assemblies are often referred to as
a built-up beam or member.

Design calculations typically require use

of the MoI for these cross-sectional
areas.

Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 PARALLEL-AXIS THEOREM FOR AN AREA
(Section 10.2)

This theorem relates the moment of

inertia (MoI) of an area about an axis
passing through the areas centroid to
the MoI of the area about a
corresponding parallel axis. This
theorem has many practical
applications, especially when working
with composite areas.

Consider an area with centroid C. The x' and y' axes pass through
C. The MoI about the x-axis, which is parallel to, and distance dy
from the x ' axis, is found by using the parallel-axis theorem.

Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
PARALLEL-AXIS THEOREM (continued)

IX = A y2 dA = A (y' + dy)2 dA
= A y' 2 dA + 2 dy A y' dA + dy2 A dA
Using the definition of the centroid:
y' = (A y' dA) / (A dA) . Now
since C is at the origin of the x' y' axes,
y' = 0 , and hence A y' dA = 0 .
Thus IX = IX' + A dy 2

Similarly, IY = IY' + A dX2 and

JO = JC + A d2
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 RADIUS OF GYRATION OF AN AREA (Section 10.3)

y A For a given area A and its MoI, Ix , imagine

that the entire area is located at distance kx
kx from the x axis.
Then, Ix = kx2A or kx = ( Ix / A). This kx
x is called the radius of gyration of the area
y about the x axis.
A
Similarly;
ky
ky = ( Iy / A ) and kO = ( JO / A )
x
The radius of gyration has units of length and gives an indication
of the spread of the area from the axes. This characteristic is
important when designing columns.
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 MOMENT OF INERTIA FOR A COMPOSITE AREA
(Section 10.4)

A composite area is made by adding or

subtracting a series of simple shaped
areas like rectangles, triangles, and
circles.
For example, the area on the left can be
made from a rectangle plus a triangle,
minus the interior rectangle.

The MoI about their centroidal axes of these simpler shaped

areas are found in most engineering handbooks, with a sampling
inside the back cover of the textbook.
Using these data and the parallel-axis theorem, the MoI for a
composite area can easily be calculated.
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 STEPS FOR ANALYSIS

1. Divide the given area into its

simpler shaped parts.
=
2. Locate the centroid of each part
and indicate the perpendicular
distance from each centroid to
the desired reference axis.
3. Determine the MoI of each simpler shaped part about the
desired reference axis using the parallel-axis theorem
( IX = IX + A ( dy )2 ) .

4. The MoI of the entire area about the reference axis is

determined by performing an algebraic summation of the
individual MoIs obtained in Step 3. (Please note that the
MoI of the hole is subtracted).
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 EXAMPLE

Given: The beams cross-sectional area.

Find: The moment of inertia of the area
about the x-axis and the radius of
gyration, kx.
Plan: Follow the steps for analysis.

Solution: [3] [2] [1]

1. The cross-sectional area can be divided into three rectangles

( [1], [2], [3] ) as shown.
2. The centroids of these three rectangles are in their center.
The distances from these centers to the x-axis are 175 mm, 0
mm, and -175 mm, respectively.
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 EXAMPLE (continued)
3. From the inside back cover of the
book, the MoI of a rectangle about
its centroidal axis is (1/12) b h3.
Ix[2] = (1/12) (50 mm) (300 mm)3
[1] = 1.125108 mm4
[2]
[3]

Using the parallel-axis theorem,

Ix[1] = Ix[3] = Ix + A (dy)2
= (1/12) (200) (50)3 + (200) (50) (175)2
= 3.083108 mm4
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 EXAMPLE (continued)

Summing these three MoIs:

4. Ix = Ix1 + Ix2 + Ix3

Ix = 7.291108 mm4

Now, finding the radius of gyration:

kx = ( Ix / A)
A = 50 (300) + 200 (50) + 200 (50) = 3.5104 mm2
kx = (7.291108) / (3.5104) = 144 mm

Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 CONCEPT QUIZ

1. For the area A, we know the Axis

A
centroids (C) location, area, distances 4
between the four parallel axes, and d3 C
3
the MoI about axis 1. We can
d2
2
determine the MoI about axis 2 by d1
applying the parallel axis theorem ___ 1
.
A) Directly between the axes 1 and 2.
B) Between axes 1 and 3 and then
between the axes 3 and 2.
C) Between axes 1 and 4 and then
axes 4 and 2.
D) None of the above.
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 CONCEPT QUIZ (continued)

Axis
A
4
d3 C 3
d2
2
d1
1
2. For the same case, consider the MoI about each of the four
axes. About which axis will the MoI be the smallest number?
A) Axis 1
B) Axis 2
C) Axis 3
D) Axis 4
E) Can not tell.
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 GROUP PROBLEM SOLVING

Given: The shaded area as shown in

the figure.
Find: The moment of inertia for the
(c) area about the x-axis and the radius of
(b) gyration, kX.
(a) Plan: Follow the steps for analysis.

Solution:
1. The given area can be obtained by subtracting the circle (b) and the
triangle (c) from the rectangle (a).
2. Information about the centroids of the simple shapes can be
obtained from the inside back cover of the textbook.
The perpendicular distances of the centroids from the x-axis are
da = 150 mm, db = 150 mm, and dc = 200 mm.
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 GROUP PROBLEM SOLVING (continued)
3. IXa = (1/12) (350) (300)3 + (350)(300)(150)2

= 3.15109 mm4
(c)
(b)
IXb = (1/4) (75)4 + (75)2 (150)2
IXc ==(1/36)
4.22410
(150)
8
mm
(300)
4 3

(a) + (1/2)(150) (300) (200)2

= 1.013109 mm4
Summing: IX = IXa IXb IXc
The radius of gyration: = 1.715109 mm4

kX = ( IX / A )

A = 350 (300) (75)2 (1/2) 150 (300) = 8.071104 mm2

kX = 1.715109 / 8.071104 = 146 mm
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 ATTENTION QUIZ

A=10 cm2
1. For the given area, the moment of inertia
about axis 1 is 200 cm4 . What is the MoI
about axis 3 (the centroidal axis)? C

C 3
A) 90 cm4 B) 110 cm4 d2
2
C) 60 cm4 D) 40 cm4 d1
1
d1 = d2 = 2 cm

2. The moment of inertia of the rectangle about 3cm

the x-axis equals
2cm
A) 8 cm4. B) 56 cm4.
C) 24 cm4. D) 26 cm4. 2cm
x
Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.
R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.
 End of the Lecture
Let Learning Continue

Statics, Fourteenth Edition Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

R.C. Hibbeler All rights reserved.