GENERAL PHYSICS 1

Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________

Grade Level & Strand: ___________________ Score: _____________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Moment of Inertia

Background Information for The Learners

How was your experience when it was

your first time to ride in a Ferris wheel?
The moment it starts rotating about its
center, you feel as if you want to stop it
from rotating, isn’t it? But do you know how
much effort must be given to the Ferris
wheel to stop it from rotating? To answer
that question, first you need to understand
completely the moment of inertia.

Concept of Moment of Inertia

Newton’s Law of Inertia says that an object at rest tends to stay at rest,
and an object in motion tends to stay in uniform motion unless acted upon by
an unbalanced force. This tendency of the object to keep whatever it is doing
and resist any change in its state of motion is called inertia.
Just like how an object continues to be in its state of rest or in its state of
uniform motion, an object rotating about its axis tends to remain rotating about
the same axis unless hindered by any external force. This property of the object
to resist any change in its rotational state of motion is called moment of inertia.
Moment of inertia is also known as rotational inertia since it appears in objects
with rotational motion. Also, it gives us the idea of how difficult to make an object
rotate and to stop an object from rotating about its axis.
Calculating Moment of Inertia

In translational motion, inertia depends on the mass of the object. But in

rotational motion, moment of inertia depends on how mass is distributed around
an axis of rotation and it varies depending on the chosen rotation axis.
For a single object or point-like object, moment of inertia can be
generally expressed as:
𝑰 = 𝒎𝒓𝟐
where: I = moment of inertia
m = mass of the object
r = perpendicular distance of the object from the axis of rotation
Consider a single object rotating about a fixed axis in Figure 1. Axis of
rotation is an imaginary straight line in which all parts of the object rotates. It is
always perpendicular to the rotation of the object.

For example, the object in Figure 1 is 0.1 kg. It is

attached to a 0.5-m string and is rotated about a fixed
axis. What is the moment of inertia of the object?

Solution:
I = mr2 = (0.1 kg) (0.5 m)2 = 0.025 kg·m2
So in rotating a 0.1 kg object moment of inertia is 0.025
kg·m2.

For a multiple-object system, where mass is not focused at a single

point and it consists of few particles, we can calculate its moment of inertia
about the given axis of rotation by adding up all the moments of inertia of all the
particles present in the system. In symbols:

𝐼 = ∑ 𝑚𝑟 2 = (𝑚1 𝑟 21) + (𝑚2 𝑟 2 2 ) + (𝑚3 𝑟 2 3 ) + ⋯

For example, three 0.1-kg balls are attached to a string and rotated about
an axis. Balls 1, 2, and 3 are 0.5 m, 0.3 m, and 0.1 m, respectively, away from
the axis of rotation. Calculate the moment of inertia of the system.

2
Solution:

𝐼 = ∑ 𝑚𝑟 2

I = (mr2)1 + (mr2)2 + (mr2)3

= (0.1 kg) (0.5 m)2 + (0.1 kg) (0.3 m)2 + (0.1 kg) (0.1 m)2
= 0.035 kg·m2
Thus, the system’s moment of inertia is 0.035 kg·m 2.

But most of the time, the object consists of a great number of particles.
Using integration in this case would be practical than using summation.
The illustration below gives the moments of inertia for various objects as
a result of integration:

Image via https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-

1/pages/10-4-moment-of-inertia-and-rotational-kinetic-energyby used
under CC BY 4.0/ Modified from the original

3
Learning Competency
• Calculate the moment of inertia about a given axis of a single-object and
multiple-object systems. (STEM_GP12REDIIa-1)

ACTIVITY 1: A Moment to Explore Rotational Inertia

Directions: Analyze the situations and then answer the questions.

Situation A: A long pole is rotated around three different rotation axes: central
core axis, midpoint axis, and one end axis as shown in figure 2. The pole is
easiest to rotate about its central core axis, and it is hardest to rotate around its
one end axis.

Analysis:
1. Which axis of rotation the pole obtains the greatest moment of inertia?
________________________________________________________
2. In which axis of rotation, the pole had the smallest moment of inertia?
________________________________________________________
3. How do the axes of rotation affect the rotation of the pole? (Hint: Relate
it to the moment of inertia.)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Situation B: Two sticks as shown in figure 3 are being held

to stand on the floor with a little inclination. When the sticks
are released, the stick without an added weight on its top
end rotates to the floor faster.

4
Analysis:
1. Why do the two sticks rotate to the floor at a different rate or speed?
(Hint: Use the moment of inertia.)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 2: A Moment to Complete Rotational Inertia

Directions: Complete the table. Indicate the rank of the objects’ moment of
inertia in a descending order.
Distance, m
Object (Object to Moment of Inertia,
Mass, kg Rank
No. Rotation Axis) kg·m2

1 36 1
2 9 2
3 4 3

Question:
1. What are the factors that affect the moment of inertia of an object?
________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 3: A Moment to Match Rotational Inertias

Directions: Match the word problem in column A with its answer in column B.
Write the letter of the answer in the blank provided before the item.
A B
_____ 1. A mass of 10 kg, which may be a A. 3.16 m
point-like object, is attached to a
rope of length 1.5 m and is being B. 1.44 kg·m2
rotated. What is the moment of
inertia of the object? C. 10 m
_____ 2. How far is the object from its axis of
rotation if it is 4 kg and has a D. 22.5 kg·m2
moment of inertia 40 kg·m2?

5
 _____ 3. Three balls are attached to a cable E. 0.04 kg
and are being rotated. Ball A is 0.5
kg and is 1.0 m away from the axis
of rotation. Ball B is 1.0 kg and
placed 0.8 m away from the axis.
Ball C, which is 0.5 m away from
the axis, is 1.2 kg. Calculate the
total moment of inertia of the balls.
_____ 4. The moment of inertia of the ball is
0.01 kg·m2 and is rotating around a
0.5-m string. What is the mass of
the ball?

ACTIVITY 4: A Moment to Level Up in Rotational Inertia

Directions: Read and understand the situation given below. Solve for the
moment of inertia of the system of objects and show your solution.

Situation: Figure 4 shows an object consisting of two

point-like objects of mass m connected by
a rod of length L and mass 2m. What is
the moment of inertia of the object about
an axis through its center and
perpendicular to the rod?

Solution:

6
Reflection

1. I learned that _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. I enjoyed most on ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. I want to learn more on __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

REFERENCES

Halliday, David, Resnick, Robert, & Walker, Jearl. Fundamentals of Physics. 6th
ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2001.

Hewitt, Paul G. Conceptual Physics. 10th ed. United States of America: Pearson
Addison-Wesley, 2006.

Moore, Thomas A. Six Ideas that Shaped Physics, Unit C: Conservative Laws
Constrain Interactions. 2nd ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2003.

Santos, Gil Nonato C. General Physics 1. 1st ed. Quezon City, Philippines: Rex
Book Store, 2019.

Prepared by:

Techie Gammad-Vera Cruz

Amulung National High School

7
 GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________
Grade Level & Strand: ___________________ Score: _____________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Torque

Background Information for The Learners

We push or pull a door on its knob whenever we want to open or close

it. We use a wrench to tighten or loosen bolts. We also discover from experience
that the amount of force applied is not enough to rotate the object – where and
how the force is applied also matters. Try to open a door by pushing it towards
its hinges. You would notice that the door will not open well because it will not
create a rotational motion. Why? The answer lies in the concept of torque.

Concept of Torque

Torque originates from the Latin word torquere, which means to twist. It
is the rotational equivalent of force, thus also known as moment or moment of
force. Just like how force is needed to alter the object's state of linear motion,
torque is necessary to change the object's state of rotation. In vector form, it is
defined as:
𝜏 = 𝑟×𝐹
where 𝜏 is the torque (pronounced as tau)
F is the force acting on the object
r is the object’s lever arm or moment arm (the position vector of
the point where the force is applied relative to the axis of rotation)

When two vectors are multiplied through cross-product (A x B), the

resulting quantity is a vector. Since force, F, and lever arm, r, are both vectors,
the cross product, torque, is a vector quantity that has both magnitude and
direction.

8
Magnitude and Direction of Torque

The magnitude of torque is defined as follows:

𝜏 = 𝑟 × 𝐹 = |𝑟|𝐹⊥
𝜏 = |𝑟||𝐹 | sin 𝜃
where r is the lever arm
F is the applied force
θ is the angle between the applied force and lever arm.

Figure 1 shows the two components of F, the

parallel (𝐹∥ ) and the perpendicular (𝐹⊥ ). Since 𝐹∥
acts along the line of the lever arm, r, it cannot
cause rotation. Only the 𝐹⊥ does cause rotation of
the object, and it is equal to |𝐹 | sin 𝜃.

The direction of the torque is always

perpendicular to both 𝐹⊥ and r as defined by the
right-hand rule: If you point your index finger in
the direction of the lever arm, r, and your middle
finger in the direction of the perpendicular
component of force, 𝐹⊥ , then your thumb points in
the direction of torque, 𝜏. See figure 2.

Take note of the following symbols when

dealing with three-dimensional directions:
Symbol Direction Hint
As if you are looking at the head of an
Out of the plane or page
arrow as it moves towards you.
As if you are looking at the tail of an
Into the plane or page
arrow as it moves away from you.

In figure 1, torque 𝜏, is directed out of the page. Consider another

example: A 5.0-N force is applied to one end of the lever that has a length of
2.0 meters. The force is applied directly perpendicular to the lever, as shown in

9
the diagram. What is the magnitude and
direction of the torque acting on the lever?

Solution:
For the magnitude:
𝜏=𝑟 ×𝐹
𝜏 = |𝑟||𝐹 | sin 𝜃
𝜏 = (2.0 𝑚)(5.0 𝑁) sin 90
𝜏 = 10 𝑁𝑚
For the direction:
The lever arm is pointing to the right; the force is upward; hence, the
direction of the torque is out of the page.
Note that the SI unit for torque is newton-meter (N·m).

Learning Competency
• Calculate magnitude and direction of torque using the definition of torque
as a cross-product. (STEM_GP12REDIIa-3)

ACTIVITY 1: Let’s Investigate Torque

Directions: Read the statements/questions carefully. Choose the letter of the
correct answer.
1. Torque is a _______ and its direction can be determined using _______.
A. scalar; right-hand rule C. vector; right-hand rule
B. scalar; left-hand rule D. vector; left-hand rule
2. The magnitude of the cross product of vectors A and B is
A. 𝐴𝑥𝐵 = |𝐴||𝐵| sin 𝜃 C. 𝐴𝑥𝐵 = |𝐴||𝐵| cos 𝜃
B. 𝐴𝑥𝐵 = 𝐴𝐵 sin 𝜃 D. 𝐴𝑥𝐵 = 𝐴𝐵 cos 𝜃
For items 3-5, consider figure 3. One end
of the stick is attached to a plank of
wood.
3. The stick rotates when a force is
applied on its ______ end and is directed along the ______.
A. fixed; z axis C. free; x axis
B. free; z axis D. free; y axis

10
 4. When torque is zero, the stick will not rotate. Which conditions result to
a zero torque?
I. The force is applied on the fixed end of the stick.
II. The force is applied along z axis at the middle of the stick.
III. The force is applied along z axis on the free end of the stick.
IV. The force is applied along x axis on the free end of the stick.
A. I only C. III and IV
B. I and II D. I and IV
5. The stick is pushed near its free end along -z axis. What is the direction
of the torque?
A. along +x axis C. along +y axis
B. along -x axis D. along -y axis

ACTIVITY 2: Let’s Twist our Hands

Directions: Use the right-hand rule to determine the direction of the torque.
Indicate or draw the direction in the diagrams or figures.

11
ACTIVITY 3: Let’s Appraise Torque
Directions: Solve the following problems and show your solution.

1. 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’s foot. What is the magnitude
of the torque about the pedal arm pivot point when the arm makes an
angle of (a) 30°, (b) 90°, and (c) 180° with the vertical?

2. A force of 60 N is applied to the end of a

wrench 12 centimeters long. How much
torque is produced? What is the direction of
the torque?

12
 3. The figure shows a stick that
can pivot about the dot
marked O. Rank the three
forces (A, B, C) according to
the magnitude of the torque
they produce, greatest first.

Reflection

1. I learned that _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. I enjoyed most on ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. I want to learn more on __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

13
 REFERENCES

Halliday, David, Resnick, Robert, and Walker, Jearl. Fundamentals of Physics.

6th ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2001.

Hewitt, Paul G. Conceptual Physics. 10th ed. United States of America: Pearson
Addison-Wesley, 2006.

Moore, Thomas A. Six Ideas that Shaped Physics, Unit C: Conservative Laws
Constrain Interactions. 2nd ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2003.

Santos, Gil Nonato C. General Physics 1. 1st ed. Quezon City, Philippines: Rex
Book Store, 2019.

Serway, Raymond A. and Jewette, John W. Jr. Physics for Scientists and
Engineers with Modern Physics. 6th ed. Singapore: Thomson Learning
Asia, 2004.

“Torque Worksheet”. Accessed June 15, 2020.

https://www.npsd.k12.nj.us/cms/lib04/NJ01001216/Centricity/Domain/4
74/Torque%20WORKSHEETS%202014.pdf.

Prepared by:

Techie Gammad-Vera Cruz

Amulung National High School

14
 GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________
Grade Level & Strand: ___________________ Score: _____________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Rotational Quantities

Background Information for The Learners

When people are asked which horse moves
faster on a merry-go-round, some will answer that
the horse near the outside rail moves faster, while
others will say that the two horses move at the
same speed. This conflict of answers depends on
the kind of motion used. Those who chose the
horse near outside the rail used translation, while
those who say that both moves at the same speed used rotation. Translation
is the motion along a straight line, while rotation is the motion requiring an
object to rotate about its fixed axis. The table below shows the equivalence of
translational and rotational motions.

Table 1: Translational quantities and their equivalence in rotational motion.

Translation Rotation
Quantity Symbol Symbol Quantity
Position 𝑥 𝑜𝑟 𝑦 𝜃 Angular Position
Displacement ∆𝑥 𝑜𝑟 ∆𝑦 ∆𝜃 Angular Displacement
Velocity 𝑣 𝜔 Angular Velocity
Acceleration 𝑎 𝛼 Angular Acceleration
Mass or Inertia 𝑚 𝐼 Moment of Inertia
Force 𝐹 𝜏 Torque
Linear Momentum 𝑝 𝐿 Angular Momentum
Work 𝐹𝑑 𝜏𝜃 Work

Kinetic Energy 1⁄ 𝑚𝑣 2 1⁄ 𝐼𝜔2 Rotational Kinetic Energy

2 2
Power Fv 𝜏𝜔 Power

15
Basic Rotational Quantities

The angular position is the angle through which a point revolves around
a center or through which line has been rotated about a specified axis. Its value
is positive when the rotation is counterclockwise and negative when the rotation
is clockwise (see figure 1). It is defined by:
𝑠
𝜃=
𝑟
where θ is the angular position (θ is read as theta)
s is the length of arc along a circle
r is the radius of the circle

The SI unit for angular position is radian. But take note that one
revolution in a circle equals 2π radians or 360°.

The angular displacement is the change in the angular position of the

rotating object. In symbols:
∆𝜃 = 𝜃2 − 𝜃1
where Δθ is angular displacement (Δ is read as delta meaning change)
θ2 is final angular position
θ1 is initial angular position

If the initial angular position is the zero angular position, then angular
displacement is equal to angular position. Angular displacement is also
measured by radians. It is positive for counterclockwise rotation and negative
for clockwise rotation.

16
 The angular velocity is the rate of change in angular position.
Mathematically, it is described as:
∆𝜃 𝜃2 − 𝜃1
𝜔= =
∆𝑡 𝑡2 − 𝑡1
where ω is angular velocity (ω is read as omega)
Δθ is change in angular position
Δt is change in time

The SI unit for angular velocity is radians/second (rad/s). But then we

also encounter other unit – rpm, meaning revolutions per minute.

The direction of angular velocity is

defined by right-hand rule: Curl your right
hand about the rotating object. Your fingers
are pointing in the direction of rotation, and
your extended thumb points in the direction of
angular velocity (see figure 2). Similarly, it is
positive for counterclockwise rotation and
negative for clockwise rotation.

The angular acceleration is the change in angular velocity per unit time.
Its direction is the same with angular velocity if and only if the rotation increases
in speed. But when the rotation is slowing down, its direction is opposite of the
angular velocity’s direction. It is measured in radians per squared seconds
(rad/s2). In symbols, it is defined as:
∆𝜔 𝜔2 − 𝜔1
𝛼= =
∆𝑡 𝑡2 − 𝑡1
where α is the angular acceleration (α is read as alpha)
Δω is change in angular velocity
Δt is change in time

These basic quantities have both magnitude and directions, then they
are vectors. However, a vector in pure rotation defines only the axis of rotation
and not a direction in which the object moves. Hence, we can describe these
rotational quantities as either positive or negative.

17
Learning Competency
• Describe rotational quantities using vectors. (STEM_GP12REDIIa-4)

ACTIVITY 1: Quantity Search

Directions: Find and encircle the ten quantities that are found both in
translational and rotational motions. These quantities are hidden in
any directions in the grid.

18
ACTIVITY 2: Rotational Motion Puzzle
Directions: Read the clues to complete the crossword. All words are related to
rotational motion.

ACROSS DOWN
2. clockwise rotation 1. used to denote angular acceleration
3. revolutions per minute 5. both magnitude and direction
4. the directions of α and ω when 6. point in the direction of rotation
rotation is speeding up 8. SI unit for angular displacement
7. rule used to identify the direction of ω 9. symbol of angular velocity
10. the directions of α and ω when 11. Greek letter indicating change in a
rotation is slowing down quantity
12. motion of wheels, planets, gears, 13. rotation for positive angular
and motors displacement
14. used to symbolize angular position 15. points in the direction of angular
velocity

19
ACTIVITY 3: Analyzing Rotational Motion
Directions: Determine the magnitude and direction of the rotational quantities
asked in the following problems. Show your solution.

1. As viewed from the north pole, the earth rotates about its axis
counterclockwise once in approximately 24 hours. What is the angular
displacement of the earth for 1 hour in radians, degrees, and
revolutions?

2. What is the angular velocity of (a) the second hand, (b) the minute hand
and (c) the hour hand of a smoothly running analog watch? Answer in
radians per second and in rpm.

20
 3. What is the angular acceleration of the wheel of the bicycle travelling
forward when it reaches 60 rpm in 2 s? Answer in radians/seconds2.

Reflection

1. I learned that _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. I enjoyed most on ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. I want to learn more on __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

21
 REFERENCES

Halliday, David, Resnick, Robert, and Walker, Jearl. Fundamentals of Physics.

6th ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2001.

Hewitt, Paul G. Conceptual Physics. 10th ed. United States of America: Pearson
Addison-Wesley, 2006.

Moore, Thomas A. Six Ideas that Shaped Physics, Unit C: Conservative Laws
Constrain Interactions. 2nd ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2003.

“Rotational Quantities and Torque”. Accessed June 17, 2020.

http://pono.ucsd.edu/~adam/teaching/phys1a2015/worksheets/workshe
et5-1.pdf.

Santos, Gil Nonato C. General Physics 1. 1st ed. Quezon City, Philippines: Rex
Book Store, 2019.

Serway, Raymond A. and Jewette, John W. Jr. Physics for Scientists and
Engineers with Modern Physics. 6th ed. Singapore: Thomson Learning
Asia, 2004.

Prepared by:

Techie Gamma-Vera Cruz

Amulung National High School

22