Dynamics of Rotating Rigid Body

A rigid body is a body in which the distance between

any two of its constituents particles is constant. Let
us imagine a rigid body divided into smaller particles
whosem1 , mmasses
2
, m 3 .......... ... are and whose distances from the
axis of rotation are .....
r1 , r 2 , r 3 .......... respectively. The moment
of inertia of this body I, is given by:

 m1 r1  m 2 r 2  m 3 r 3  ..........   m i ri
2 2 2 2
I .

 
• The moment of inertia of a point mass is
equal to the mass of the object times the
square of the object’s distance from the axis
of rotation. The unit of I is kgm2.
• It plays a role analogous to that of mass m in
translational motion but unlike mass which is
constant for a particular body, I depends on
the location and direction of axis of rotation
as well as on the way the mass of the body is
distributed. The farther a particle is from the
axis of rotation, the more it contributes to the
moment of inertia.
 Some examples of moments of
inertia of bodies of mass m are
shown below:
• (a) A uniform thin rod rotating about an
axis through its middle.
• m

• L/2 x dx
• For a uniform mass per unit length
• m M

dx L
 M
m  dx I   m  x 2
L

M 
2
M
I  2 x
2
 dx  L
2

0  
L 12
A uniform thin rod rotating about
one end.

L
• When the same rod is rotating about one
end, the limits of integration change. That
is,
L 3
M ML
I  2
x dx 
0
L 3
A circular disk rotating through its
centre
• The circular disk can be divided into small
rings with constant mass per unit area.
We can obtain the elemental mass
m as
follows:
 m M

2  x dx  R
2

M
 m  2 x dx
R 2

 I   m x 2

 R
2M 1
I  2
3
x dx  M R
2

0
R 2
Exercise
Show that for a sphere rotating through its centre , I is given
2 2
by M R
5
 Radius of Gyration
• The moment of inertia for all rotating
bodies is related to the radius of gyration
by:
I M k
2

k is called the radius of gyration of the body about an axis .

1
For example , for a uniform circular disk , I  M R
2

2
1
M k
2
 M R
2

2
1
k  R
2
 Parallel Axes Theorem
If the moment of inertia of a rigid body IG about
an axis through its centre of mass G is known,
the moment of inertia of the body about an axis
which is parallel to the first axis can be
determined from the parallel axes theorem :
I

I = IG + Mh2 --------------- (i)

IG = Moment of inertia about the axis through
the centre of mass G.
h = perpendicular distance between the given
axis and the axis through the centre of mass.
 Example
• Calculate the rotational inertia (moment of
inertia) of a metre stick, with mass 0.56 kg
about an axis perpendicular to the stick and
located at the 20 cm mark (Treat the stick
as a thin rod).
• SOLUTION
• I = IG + mh2
• IG = Rotational inertia about the centre of
mass
• M = mass of the stick , h = distance
between the centre of mass and the
chosen rotation axis.
• The centre of the mass is at the centre of
the metre stick, this implies that:
• h = 0.50 m – 0.20 m = 0.30 m
•
1 1
I  M L 
2 2
 0 . 56 kg 1 . 0 m 
• G
12 12
IG  4 . 67  10  2 kg m
2
• Therefore, the parallel axis theorem gives:
2
 4 . 67  10  0 . 56 kg 0 . 30 m 
2 2
I kg m
2
I  9 . 7  10 kg m
2
 Torque on a Rigid Body
• The rotating effect of a force on a body
about an axis is called its torque and the
magnitude depends on the force and the
perpendicular distance from the axis.
• The torque of a force about an axis is
defined as the product of the force and the
perpendicular distance from the
component of the force in the plane
perpendicular to the axis.
• In terms of angular acceleration α, the
force F causing rotation is,
dv d
F  ma  m  mr
dt dt
F  mr 
• If the perpendicular distance is r, the net
torque on the mass is

  F r m r  I  2
 Examples
• 1. If a 32.0 Nm torque on a wheel causes
angular acceleration of 25.0 rads-2 , what
is the wheel’s rotational inertia?
• SOLUTION
• The rotational inertia
 32 . 0
I    1 . 28 kgm
2

 25 . 0
• 2. During the launch from a board, a diver’s
angular speed about his centre of mass
-1
changes from zero to 6.20 rads in 220
ms. His rotational inertia about his centre
of mass is 12.0 kgm2. During the launch,
what are the magnitudes of (a) his
average angular acceleration (b) the
average external torque on him from the
board ?
 SOLUTION
• (a) Given that
  0 rads  ,   6 . 20 rads  , t  220  10 
0
1
f
1 3
s

  6 . 20  0
 f

0

 28 . 2 rads
2

t 220  10 3

• (b) If I is the rotational inertia of the diver,

then the magnitude of the torque on him is

  I   12 . 0  28 . 2 
  3 . 38  10 Nm 2
• 3. The length of a bicycle pedal arm is
0.152 m and a downward force of 111 N is
applied to the pedal by the rider. What is
the magnitude of the torque about the
pedal arm’s pivot when the arm is at (a)
300 (b) 900 and (c) 1800 with the vertical?
 SOLUTION
• Using the fact that  r F sin 

• (a) For   30 ,  0
a
  0 . 152 m 111 N   8 . 4 Nm

• (b) For   90 0 ,  b  0 . 152 m 111 N  sin 90 0  17 Nm

• (c) For   180 0

, c   0 . 152 m 111 N  sin 180
0
0
 Angular Momentum
• A rotating body has an angular momentum
in a way that a body under linear motion
has linear momentum mv = mωr
• Angular momentum is defined as the
moment of momentum. The angular
momentum L of a rotating body has the
magnitude L = Iω
• Angular momentum =
( moment of inertia)( angular velocity)
• The greater the angular momentum of a
spinning object, the greater its tendency to spin.
Like linear momentum, angular momentum is a
vector quantity with direction as well as
magnitude.
• Example
• A uniform solid sphere of radius 0.50 m and
mass 15.0 kg turns counterclockwise about a
vertical axis through its centre. Find its angular
momentum when its angular speed is 3.0 rads -1
 SOLUTION
• The moment of inertia of the sphere about
an axis through its centre is
2 2
   1 . 50
2 2 2
I mr 15 . 0  0 . 50  kg m
5 5

• The magnitude of the angular momentum is

• L  I   1 . 50 3 . 0   4 . 50 kg m s
 2 1

• Since the sphere rotates counterclockwise

about the vertical axis, the angular
momentum is directed upward in the
positive z direction.
 Kinetic Energy of a Rolling Object
• From the parallel axis theorem, a rolling
object of radius r has a moment of inertia

I  I G  mh 2

• where IG is the moment of inertia about

the centre of gravity. This can be used to
obtain its kinetic energy as it rolls on a
horizontal plane.
•
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 Examples
• 1. A cylinder of mass 10 kg rolls without
slipping on a horizontal surface. At the
instant its centre of mass has a speed 10
m/s, determine:
• (a) the translational kinetic energy of its
centre of mass.
• (b) the rotational kinetic energy about its
centre.
• (c) its total energy.
 SOLUTION
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3. A 1000 kg car has four 10 kg wheels.
When the car is moving, what fraction of its
total kinetic energy is due to rotation of the
wheels about their axles? Assume that the
wheels have the same rotational inertia as
uniform disk of the same mass and size.
 SOLUTION
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 Acceleration of an object Rolling
Down an inclined plane
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 Example
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 SOLUTION
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 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body
•
 Steps taken in solving problems in
statics
•
 Example
A uniform plank of length 6.0 m and mass
30.0 kg rest horizontally across two
horizontal bars of a scaffold.The bars are
4.50 m apart, and 1.50 m of the plank hangs
over one side of the scaffold. How far can a
painter of mass 70 kg walk on the
overhanging part of the plank before it tips.
SOLUTION
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( b) If the ladder is just on the verge of
slipping when the firefighter is 9.0 m up,
what is the coefficient of static friction
between the ladder and ground?
SOLUTION
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 SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION
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 SOLUTION
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 SOLUTION
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Examples of Motions that are
Simple Harmonic
A HELICAL SPRING
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SIMPLE PENDULUM
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Oscillating Liquid Column of a U-
tube
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 Total Energy in a Simple Harmonic
Oscillation
•
Since there are no frictional forces in SHM,
the total energy E remains constant. As the
mass oscillates back and forth, the total
energy E continuously changes from
potential energy to kinetic energy. A
potential energy diagram will help us
visualize this problem.
Energy Exchange in SHM
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 Examples
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 SOLUTION
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 SOLUTION
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 SOLUTION
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 ELASTICITY
Elasticity is one of the properties of solid.
When an external force is applied to a solid,
its shape is altered. When the external force
is removed, the restoring force brings the
solid back to its original shape and size.
This property is called the elasticity.
 TENSILE STRESS
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 TENSILE STRAIN
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 Examples
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 SOLUTION
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Plot of stress versus strain
The portion OB of the curve in Fig.1 is linear.
In this region, the material completely returns
to its original length when the applied stress
is removed. This region is known as elastic
region and the point B is the elastic limit.
Beyond this limit there occurs the yield point,
it is the point at which there is large increase
in strain with little or no change in stress. The
material is said to undergo plastic flow.
With further increase in strain the curve
attains a maximum at E, which represents
the maximum or ultimate strength of the
material. The material will rupture at point F
and is known as the breaking point.
 Elastic Energy in Deformed
Materials
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 SOLUTION
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 Bulk Modulus
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 SOLUTION
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 SOLUTION
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