Chapter 10.

Problem#: 28, 54, 64, 68, 74

Prob.28
2
A wheels diameter is 87cm, and it rotational inertia is 7.1 kgm .

(a) Whats the minimum mass it could have?

(b) How could it have more mass?

Sol.

(a) From the definition of the rotational inertia, I = mi r i2 , we see that with fixed mi , the
i
wheel would have the largest rotational inertia when the all of the mass of the wheel is located at the
maximum radius. Therefore, if the rotational inertia is fixed, this configuration leads to the minimum
mass that the wheel could have. Therefore,

I ( 7.1 kg m2 )
M min = 2
= 2
=37.5 kg
r max 0.87 m
( 2 )
(b) If some of the mass is distributed at positions with r i <r max the wheel would need more mass
to have the same rotational inertia..

Prob.54

Verify by direct integration Table 10.2s entry for the rotational inertia of a flat plate about a central
axis. (Hint: Divide the plate into strips parallel to the axis)

Sol.

Divide the plate into thin strips parallel to the central, or x axis. For a uniform plate dm/M bdy/ab, so
a /2
M a /2 M y3 Ma 2
I y 2 dm y 2 dy .
a a /2 a 3 a /2
12

Alternatively, divide into thin strips perpendicular to the axis. The rotational inertia of each strip is
dI 121 (dm)a 2 ,
where dm/M adx/ab. Therefore,

a2 Ma 2 b dx Ma 2
I dI dm
12 12 0 b 12
Prob.64

A solid ball of mass M and radius R starts at rest at height h above the bottom of the path in Fig.10.26.
It rolls without slipping down the left side. The right side of the path, starting at the bottom, is
frictionless. To what height does the ball rise on the right?

Sol.

Take gravitational potential energy to be zero at the bottom. The ball starts on the left side with purely
potential energy of magnitude Mgh. At the bottom, the balls energy is purely kinetic with magnitude
1
I 2 12 Mvcm
2
.
2 cm
Going up the right side, the balls translational kinetic energy will be converted to
potential energy, but because the right side is frictionless, the rotational kinetic energy will be
unchanged.

Energy conservation between the top and bottom gives:

1 1 12 1 7
Mgh I cm 2 Mvcm
2
MR 2 (vcm /R) 2 Mvcm
2
Mvcm
2

2 2 25 2 10
2
vcm 107 gh, 1 2
Mvcm 57 Mgh.
So at the bottom, and the translational kinetic energy is This translational
2

h .
kinetic energy is converted entirely to potential energy at the height Therefore we have
Mgh 12 Mvcm
2
57 Mgh, h 75 h. h 75 h
or At the height of on the right side, the ball still has the same
2
Mgh
rotational kinetic energy of 7
that it had at the bottom.

Prob.68

A solid marble starts from rest and rolls without slipping on the loop-the-loop track in Fig. 10.30. Find
the minimum starting height from which the marble will remain on the track through the loop. Assume
the marbles radius is small compared with R.

Sol.
 2
mv . To remain on the
The equation of motion for the marble at the top of the loop is mg+ N=
Rr
track, the normal force is always larger than zero, N 0 . From both equations, v 2 g (Rr ) .
Also, we can use the the energy conservation law which gives
ich

1 1 2 v
mg ( h+r )=mg ( 2 Rr )+ mv 2 +
2 2 5
mr 2 (
r )( )
n use the energy conservationlawe marble will remain on the tra
. Therefore,
2
7 v
h=2 ( Rr ) + 2.7( Rr ) .
10 g

Prob. 74

A thick ring of mass M has inner radius R1 and outer radius R2 . Show that its rotational inertia
1
is given by M ( R 22 + R32 ) .
2
Sol.

Divide the thick ring into thin rings as in Example 10.7. The mass of the thick ring is M and the
dm M
area is A= ( R 22R21 ) . Therefore, from = (since we have uniform density) with
dA A
dA=2 r dr we have
M M
dm= dA= 2 r dr
A (R 22R21 )
Therefore, the rotational inertia of the ring is
R2 R2 R2
M 2M 1
I = r dm= r
2 2
2 r dr= 2 2
r 3 dr = M (R 21+ R 22) .
R 1 R 1
2 2
( R2R 1) R 2R1 R 2 1