Physics E Outline for Chp.
8 Rotational Equilibrium and Dynamics
Lecture Questions:
1) Define torque. Is torque a scalar or vector quantity? How is its direction determined? How does the torque a
force applies depend on the magnitude of the force? How does it depend upon the distance the force is applied
from the axis of rotation? In which direction, relative to the lever arm, does a force give the greatest torque?
Write the mathematical equation for the torque of a force. What units are used to measure torque?
2) Define the center of mass of an object. Where is the center of mass located for a uniform sphere, cube and
cylinder? How is the center of mass useful when dealing with the torque exerted by the weight of an extended
object? Use the idea of center of mass to explain why a ball rolls down a hill.
3) Define rotational inertia. Is rotational inertia a scalar or vector quantity? What unit is used to measure it? How
is the rotational inertia of a body related to its mass and the location of mass? A ball, cylinder and ring of the same
mass and radius are placed on an inclined plane. Write the equations for rotational inertia for each of these
shapes. In what order will the shapes reach the bottom of the plane?
4) Write Newton’s 2nd law for rotating objects. What two conditions must be met for rotational equilibrium to be
achieved? Describe how a single person can see saw by moving the pivot of the ride.
5) What advantages does a young female ice skater, diver or gymnast have over her older counterparts in terms of
spinning, flipping and other acrobatic feats?
6) Define rotational kinetic energy. Write the equation for rotational kinetic energy. Explain why sliding objects
generally reach the bottom of an incline quicker than the same object rolling.
7) Define angular momentum. Is this a vector or scalar quantity? How is the direction determined? What are the
units used to measure angular momentum? What linear quantity is angular momentum related? Write the
equation for angular momentum.
8) When is angular momentum conserved? When is it not conserved? List some examples where angular
momentum is conserved.
9) Explain why when an ice skater or diver pulls in his arms or legs his spin rate increases.
10) Why did Explorer 1 begin to tumble soon after it was launched into orbit around the Earth? What
modifications were made to Explorer 2 to fix this problem?
Practice Problems:
1) Find the torque produced by a 3.0 N force applied at an angle of 60.0 degrees to a door 0.25 m from the hinge.
What is the maximum torque this force could exert?
2) A simple pendulum consists of a 3.0 kg point mass hanging at the end of a 2.0 m long light string that is
connected to a pivot point. A) Calculate the magnitude of the torque (due to the force of gravity) around this pivot
point when the string makes a 5.0 degree angle with the vertical. B) Repeat this calculation for an angle of 15.0
degrees.
3) A 400.0 N child and a 300.0 N child sit on either end of a 2.0 m long seesaw. A) Where along the seesaw should
the pivot be placed to ensure rotational equilibrium? B) Suppose a 225 N child sits 0.200 M from the 400.0 N
child. Where must a 325 N child sit to maintain rotational equilibrium?
4) A 700.0 N window washer is standing on a scaffold supported by a vertical rope at each end. The scaffold
weighs 200.0 N and is 3.00 m long. What is the force in each rope when the window washer stands 1.00 m from
one end?
5) A potter’s wheel of radius 0.50 m and mass 100.0 kg is freely rotating at 50.0 rev/min. The potter can stop the
wheel in 6.0 s by pressing a wet rag against the rim and exerting a radially inward force of 70.0 N. A) What is the
angular acceleration of the wheel? B) How much torque does the potter apply to the wheel?
6) A light string 4.00 m long is wrapped around a solid cylindrical spool with a radius of 0.075 m and a mass 0.500
kg. A 5.00 kg mass is then attached to the free end of the string, causing the string to unwind from the spool. A)
What is the angular acceleration of the spool? B) How fast will the spool be rotating after all the string is
unwound.
7) A bicycle tire of radius 0.33 m and mass 1.5 kg is rotating at 98.7 rad/s. What torque is necessary to stop the tire
in 2.0 s?
8) A 2.0 kg bicycle wheel with a radius of 0.30 m turns at a constant angular speed of 25 rad/s when a 0.30 kg
reflector is at a distance of 0.15 m from the axle. What is the angular speed of the wheel when the reflector slides
to a distance of 0.25 m from the axle?
9) As Halley’s Comet orbits the sun its distance from the sun changes dramatically, from 8.8x 10 10 m to 5.2 x 1012 m.
If the comet’s speed at closest approach is 5.4 x 104 m/s, what is its speed when it is farthest from the sun if
angular momentum is conserved?
10) A solid, horizontal cylinder with a mass of 10.0 kg and a radius of 1.00 m rotates with an angular speed of 7.00
rad/s about a fixed vertical axis through its center. A 0.250 kg piece of putty is dropped vertically at a point 0.900
m from the cylinder’s center of rotation and sticks to the cylinder. Determine the final angular speed of the
system.
11) The entrance of a science museum features a funnel into which marbles are rolled one at a time. The marbles
circle around the wall of the funnel eventually spiraling down into the neck of the funnel. The internal radius of
the funnel at the top is 1.50 m. At the bottom, the funnel’s neck narrows to an internal radius of 00.25 m. A 5.0 x
10-3 kg marble begins rolling a large circular orbit around the funnel’s rim at 0.65 rev/s. If it continues moving in a
roughly circular path, what will the marble’s angular speed be as it passes through the neck of the funnel?
(Consider only the effects of conservation of momentum).
12) A solid cylinder with a mass of 3.25 kg and a radius of 0.75 m starts from rest at a height of 2.00 m and rolls
down a 30.0 degree slope. What is the translational speed when the cylinder leaves the incline?
13) A regulation basketball has a 25 cm diameter and may be approximated as a thin spherical shell. How long will
it take a basketball starting from rest to roll without slipping 4.0 m down an incline that makes an angle of 30.0
degrees with the horizontal?
14) A horizontal 800.0 n merry-go-round with a radius of 1.5 m is started from rest by a constant horizontal force
of 50.0 N applied tangentially to the merry-go –round. Find the kinetic energy of the merry-go-round after 3.0 s.
(Assume the merry-go-round is a solid disk).
Schedule:
Day Class Assignment Homework Assignment Due
Monday Lab: Torque and Rotational Inertia None
Tuesday Lecture: Torque, RI and Newton’s 2nd Law None
Wednesday Practice Problems 1-7 None
Thursday Homework Review Chp. 8 Q. 1-8, 10,12, 13-20,22,24,26
27-29,30,32,34,36
Friday Lab: Can Roll None
Monday Lecture: Angular Momentum and Rot. KE None
Tuesday Practice Problems 8-14 None
Wednesday Veterans Day None
Thursday Homework Review Chp. 8 Q. 37-42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52-57
Friday Chap. 8 Quiz Notebook
