MOMENT OF INERTIA

Rotational motion of Rigid bodies:A rigid body is that whose size ,shape and volume is
fixed. A rigid body has two types of motion.

1 Translational motion.
2. Rotational motion.

Translational motion: If all the particles moves in a straight line parallel to each
other and covers equal distance in equal interval of time, it is referred as
translational motion.

Rotational motion. If all the particles moves in circles whose centre lies on a
straight line called rotational motion.

Angular displacement (θ) :

It is defined as ratio of angular displacement to the radius vector subtended at the

center.
s
θ =
r
Angular velocity: The rate of change of angular displacement is known as angular
velocity.
dθ
ω= dt
Angular acceleration(𝛼): The rate of change of angular velocity is known as
angular acceleration.
 𝑑2𝜃
𝛼= dt2

Moment of Inertia: It is defined as sum of product of mass and square of distance

from the axis of rotation.

I  m1r12  m 2 r22  m 3 r33        m n rn2

n
I   mr 2   m i ri2
i 1

Radius of gyration: If entire mass of body is concentrated at a point such that the
kinetic energy of rotation is the same as that of the body itself, then the distance of
the point from the axis of rotation is called radius of gyration.
I  Mk 2   mr 2

Where K is called radius of gyration.

n

r  r  r      r
2 2 2 2 r i
2

k 1 2 3
 n i 1
n n
Thus, radius of gyration is equal to root mean square distance of the particle from
the axis of rotation.
Kinetic energy of rotation:

Let us consider a rigid body rotating

about an axis AB passing through the
center of mass as shown in fig.Let
m1,m2,m3…. are the masses of the
particles at a distance r1,r2,r3…. from
the axis AB. The total kinetic energy is
the sum of kinetic energy of the
individual particles.The total
kineticenergy of the body is given

n
1 1 1 1 1
KE rot 
2
m1v12  m2 v22  m3 v33        mn vn2 
2 2 2 2
m v
i 1
2
i i

n
1
=  m ωr  i.e., v i  ωri 
2
i i
2 i 1

n
1 2
=
2
ω m r
i 1
i i
2

1 2
KE rot  Iω
2
n
Where I  m r
i 1
i i
2
is the moment of inertia of a body about an axis AB.

1
For  =1, then kinetic energy KE rot  I or
2

I  2 KE rot

Therefore , moment of inertia is twice the rotational kinetic energy of a body rotating about an
axis with unit angular velocity.
THEOREMS OF MOMENT OF INERTIA:

Parallel Axis theorem:

Statement:Moment of inertia of a rigid body about an axis is equal to the sum of moment of
inertia about an axis passing through the center of mass and product of mass and square of the
distance between the two parallel axis.

Let ICM is the moment of inertia about an axis passing through center of mass, M is mass of the
particle and d is the distance between the two parallel axis. Then MI about an y| y| axis is

Iy| y| = ICM+Md2

Moment of inertia of particle about an axis y | y |  mx  d 

2

Moment of inertia of whole body about an axis y1 y1   mx  d  2

I   mx  d  2
  mx 2
 d 2  2xd 
I  m x 2
 md  2m x d
2

I  m x 2
 m d 2
 2m x d =0

The body can balance itself about its centre of mass, so the algebraic sum of moments (mx) os
masses of all its particles about the axis y|y| is Zero.

I  m x 2
 m d 2
But m x 2
 I CM

I  I CM  M d 2
Perpendicular axis:

Moment of inertia about an axis perpendicular to its plane is equal to the sum of moment of
inertia of the body about two mutually perpendicular axis.

If IX and IY are MI about an axis perpendicular to each other, then MI about an Z axis is given by

IZ =IX + IY

Moment of inertia about X axis is I  m y 2 ,

Moment of inertia due whole body along x axis is I x  m y 2

Moment of inertia about y axis is I  m x 2 ,

Moment of inertia due whole body along y axis is I y  m x 2

,Moment of inertia due whole body along z axis is I Z  m r 2

  mx 2
 y2 
I Z  m x  m y
2 2

I Z  IX  IY

Therefore perpendicular axis theorem is proved

Moment of inertia of a Circular disc:

1Axis perpendicular to the plane

Consider uniform circular disc of mass M and radius R rotating about an axis z passing through
the centre O. Divide the disc into small rings with radius r and width dr and mass dm.

MI of the ring , d I  r 2 dm      (1)

r
I   r 2 dm     (2)
0

The area of the ring is 2πr dr

M
If m is mass per unit area of the disc. Then m       (3)
π R2

Mass of the ring dm is

𝑀 2M
dm = πR 2 2πrdr = 𝑅2
𝑟 dr ― ― ― ― ― (4)

Substituting the value of dm in equation (2) we get

r 2M
I   r2 r dr
0 R2
R
2M r R 2M  r 4 

2
I 2 r r dr  2  
R 0 R  4 0
 1
I MR 2
2

R2 R
Since I  MK k2  or K 
2
 (6)
2 2

2. MI of a circular disc about its diameter

MI of a circular disc whose axis is perpendicular to plane and axis passing through the centre is given by

1
I MR 2  (1)
2

From perpendicular axis theorem we have

I Z  I X  I Y  (2)

Since the diameters are symmetrical,

𝐼𝑋 = 𝐼𝑌 or 𝐼𝑧 = 2I𝑥

Ig 1 MR 2 1
ID  IX    MR 2
2 2 2 4

1
ID  IX  MR 2  (3)
4

1 R
Since I  MK 2 , k 2  MR 2 or k   (4)
4 2
3 MI about a tangent to the disc

Let AB be the tangent drawn to the disc of radius R and mass M. CD is the diameter of
the disc parallele to the tangent and its MI is MR2/4.

By parallel axis theorem MI about AB is equal to sum of MI about CD and MR2/4.

MR 2 5 MR 2
I  MR 2 
4 4

5
K R
2

Moment of inertia of a Annular ring:

1 Axis passing through center and perpendicular to plane

Let us consider a Circular disc of radius R and mass M. Let

us assume disc is divided into number of coaxial disc of radiu
x and thick ness dx. R and r be the outer and inner radii of
disc.
Let m be the mass per unit area of the ring.

Area of the disc is = πR 2  r 2 

M

Mass per unit area of the disc 
π R2  r2 
Imagine disc is divided into number of small rings with radius x and thickness dx.

Then the are of the ring is 2x dx

M 2M x dx
Mass of the ring is 2 π x dx 
 2
π R r 2
 R2  r2  
Moment of inertia of the ring about an axis passing through the centre O and
perpendicular to the plane

2M x dx 2 2M x 3 dx
 x 
R2  r2 
R2  r2  
The total MI is obtained by integrating above expression between r and R
R
2M R 2M x4 

3
 x dx 

R2  r2 r    
R 2  r2  4 0

2M R4  r4 

 
R 2  r 2  4 


M R 2
 
 r2  R2  r2 

R  r2
2
 2

I

M R 2  r2 
2

2 Axis passing through the diameter.

Since annular ring is symmetrical, the MI about one diameter is equal to the MI about
another diameter. The MI about one diameter is given by
 I
M R2  r2  
2

Since MI about both diameters are equal, I  I 


M R2  r2 
2

I

M R2  r2 
4

If disc is plane. i.e., r=0 Then MI of disc about diameter is,

MR 2
I
4

3 About a tangent, in its own plane.

The tangent is parallel to the diameter of the ring at a distance R from it. From parallel
axes theorem

MI about the tangent = M I about the diameter + MR2

I

M R2  r2
 MR 2

4

I

M 5R 2  r 2 
4

MI of a solid sphere

1 Axis passing through about its diameter:

Consider a solid sphere of radiu R and mass M. Let m be the mass per unit volume of the
sphere. Let us assume sphere is made up of large number of concentric shells of
thickness dx. Consider a shell at a distance x from centre.

Volume of the shell  4  x 2 dx

4
Volume of the sphere   R3
3
M 3M
Mass per unit volume, m  
4 4  R3
 R3
3

3 M 2 3 M x 2 dx
Mass of shell , m  4  x dx 
4  R3 R3

2
Moment of inertia of the shell about the diameter  mass X radius2
3

2 3 M x 2 dx 2  2M 4
 x x dx - - - - - - - (1)
3 R 3 R 3

Moment of inertia of the solid sphere about a diameter is obtained by integrating eq(1)
between the limits x=0 to x=R

R 2M 4 2M R 4 2M
R
 x5 
I  x dx   x dx   
3 R 3
R3  5 0
0 R 0

2 M R2 2
I and K  R
5 5

2. Moment of inertia about a Tangent

According to principal of parallel axis theorem , M I of the sphere about the tangent

I = MI about the diameter + MR2

2 7 7
I MR 2  MR 2  MR 2 and K  R
5 5 5
Moment of Inertia of thin uniform rod.

1.MI about an axis passing through centre and perpendicular to its length.

Let us consider a uniform thin rod of length L and mass M. let yy| be the axis passing
through the centre and perpendicular to its length.

Mass M
Mass per unit length of rod, m  
Length L

Let us assume the rod is divided in to number of small elements. Consider one such
element of length dx at a distance x from O.

M
Mass of the element  m dx  dx
L

M 
MI of the element about an axis yy|   dx  x 2
L 

The total MI of the rod about an axis yy| is given by

L L L
2 M  2 M 2 2 2 M 2
I    L dx  x  L  x dx  2  L x dx
L  L 0
- -
2 2
L
2
M  x3  M  L3 L3  ML2
I     
L  3  L 3L  8 8  12
 -  
2

ML2
I
12
Moment of Inertia of a Rectangular bar.

Axis passing through its centre and perpendicular to its plane.

Let us consider a rectangular bar of length l, breadth b and thickness t having mass M.

Let us assume that rectangular bar is divided into number of thin lamina of mass m and
placed one on another. M I of this lamina about yy| perpendicular to its plane and
passing through its centre is

m l2 m b2
I 
12 12

M I of the rectangular bar about axis yy|

 l2  b2 
I  m 
 12 
 

 l2  b2  l2  b2
I  M  
 and K 
y
 12  12

Conservation of Angular momentum:

Statement: When there is no external torque acts on a body or a system, its angular
momentum remains constant in both magnitude and direction.

dL
L = I ω = constant if   ext  0 
dt
Illustration:

1 When an skater stretches his hands while rotating, angular momentum (ω) decreases
and Moment of inertia (I) increases. Thus angular momentum( L = I ω) remains constant.

On the other hand when he stretches his hands inside angular momentum (ω) Increases
and Moment of inertia (I) decreases. Thus angular momentum( L = I ω) remains
constant.

2. A diver rotates faster when his arms and legs are tucked in and when he stretches his
arms and legs out, angular momentum decreases and enters into water.

*******************