Experiment 111-6

Moment of Inertia
Introduction
The rotational equivalent of Newtons Second Law F = ma is = I in which is the torque, I is the moment of inertia, and is the angular acceleration. In the same way that mass is a measure of inertia (or resistance to acceleration) the moment of inertia is a measure of resistance to rotation. However, mass is an intrinsic property you can change the shape and/or orientation of an object without changing its mass. In contrast, the moment of inertia depends on both the mass and the geometry of the object as well as the position of its rotation axis. For example, its easier to spin a metal rod like an axle than it is to twirl it like a baton. In the apparatus illustrated in Figure 6.1, a disc of mass M and radius R is mounted on an axle that spins in a bearing. The cord wrapped around the axle exerts a torque

= Tr

(6.1)

due to the tension T acting at the radius r. When the load mass m is released, it accelerates downward with a = 2 s t 2 , (6.2) where t is the time for the load mass to fall from rest through a distance s. This causes the axle/disc system to rotate with an angular acceleration given by =a r. (6.3) The moment of inertia of the axle/disc system is given by I = = Tr 2 a or, since T = m ( g a ) ,

g I = mr 2 1 . a

(6.4)
Figure 6.1 Moment of Inertia Apparatus

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Moment of Inertia

Experiment 111-6

Purpose
The primary objective of this experiment is to find a relationship between the moment of inertia and the radius for discs of the same mass. A secondary objective is to develop a general equation relating the moment of inertia and radius for discs of any mass.

Procedure
All the measurements are to be entered directly into your lab record book. Uncertainties are to be estimated for all measurements and errors found for all calculated quantities. Place the apparatus on the protective mat to avoid damaging the bench top.
Axle diameter: Use a vernier caliper to measure the diameter of the axle when it is bare db .

late the effective radius r = ( db + d w ) 4 (in m) at which the tension in the cord acts.

Wind the cord around it in a single layer and then measure the wrapped diameter d w . Calcu-

For each disc: Starting with the largest (disc 1) follow the steps outlined below. Record the data in a table like Table 6.1. Youll need five tables.

1. Measure the mass M (in kg) with a digital balance and the diameter, D (in m) with a metre stick. Mount the disc on the end of the axle. 2. The total accelerating mass, including the mass holder, should be m = 150 g, which is large enough to minimize the effects of friction but not so large as to make the times too short to measure accurately. Record the total accelerating mass m. 3. Wind the cord around the axle in a single layer enough to raise the accelerating mass to the top of the half-metre stick. 4. Use a stopwatch to measure the time (in s) it takes for the mass to fall to the bottom end of the half-metre stick. Record the time t and the distance s through which the mass has fallen, (see Figure 6.1). Do a total of six timing trials for each disc. Then find the average time as well as the estimate of error in the mean. 5. Calculate the downward acceleration of the load mass using equation (6.2). Assume that the major source of error is in the timing and that the uncertainty in s is negligible. 6. Calculate the moment of inertia I via equation (6.4). The error calculations can be simplified by assuming that the uncertainty in the load mass is negligible. Then you only have to consider the uncertainties in r and a.

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Moment of Inertia
Table 6.1 Data & Results for Disc#___ Disc Mass, M = ________ kg Disc Radius, R = ________ m Acceleration, a = ________ m/s2 Time trial 1 2 3 Moment of inertia, I = ___________________ 4 5 6 Average Standard deviation Error estimate in the mean

Experiment 111-6

Falling time t (s)

t =

After all the data have been acquired: Construct a summary table like the one illustrated in

Table 6.2 and enter the relevant data and calculated results.
Table 6.2 Summary of Results Disc radius R (m) Accelerating mass (axle radius) ,
2

(m )

R?

Acceleration a (m/s2)

Disc Moment of Inertia, I (units?)

mr 2 = ____________________
Average Disc Mass,

M = ____________________

Dimensional Analysis: Work out the units for the moment of inertia. In the introduction to the experiment it was pointed out that the moment of inertia depends on the mass and the geometry of the object. Given these considerations, to what power should the disc radius be raised in the relationship between disc radius and moment of inertia? That is, if I R n , what should n be? Once you have established what the power ought to be, plot a graph of I versus R n and determine the slope and intercept of the best-fit line. Now write the equation that relates the moment of inertia to the disc radius in terms of the slope of the line k, the intercept, and the power n. It should have the form I = kR n + I 0 . From the units of the slope in the equation youve obtained, it should be apparent that k is somehow related to the mass M of the discs. Is k a simple fraction, such as 1/2, 1/3, or 1/4, of the

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Moment of Inertia

Experiment 111-6

average disc mass? What is the physical significance of the intercept I 0 what does it represent in the experiment? Once you have determined the physical interpretation of the slope and the intercept, write a more general equation in terms of the disc mass and the intercept I 0 .

Some Points for Discussion

Friction in the axle bearing plays a role in the experiment. How might it have affected the results you obtained? The mass of the axle and bearing is about 225 g, which is roughly half that of the discs, but its moment of inertia is very small. Explain why. When a figure skater does a spin and then pulls in his or her arms, the spin rate increases. Why is this?

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