Experiment 11

Moment of Inertia
A rigid body composed of concentric disks is constrained to rotate about
its axis of symmetry. The moment of inertia is found by two methods and the
results are compared.
In the first method, the moment of inertia is
determined theoretically by applying the formula for the moment of inertia of
a single disk to each of four disks, and adding the results. In the second
method, the moment of inertia is determined experimentally by measuring
the acceleration produced by a constant torque on the body.
The experimental determination of the moment of inertia is only valid if
friction is negligible. In Part II of the experiment, an estimate of the angular
acceleration due to friction is obtained.
The validity of the above
approximation is the examined.

Theory, Part I
The moment of inertia of a homogeneous disk about the axis of
symmetry is
2
I disk = 12 M R ,

where M 1 is the mass of the disk and R 2 is the radius. The moment of
inertia of a rigid system of concentric disks is then

I = 12 M 1 R12 + 12 M 2 R 22 + = 12 M i Ri2 ,

(1)

where the sum extends over all disks, each of which has mass M i 3 and radius

Ri 4. If the mass density, 5, is uniform (i.e., constant throughout the body),

the mass of each disk is given by

2
M i = V i = wi Ri ,

where V i 6 is the volume of the disk and wi 7 is the width. Substituting this
into (1), the moment of inertia of each disk is then

Ii =

4
wi Ri ,

(2)

and the total theoretical moment of inertia is

I the =

wi Ri4 .

(3)

If the density together with the width and the radius of each disk are known,
then the moment of inertia of the body can be computed. The moment of
inertia determined in this manner will be referred to as the theoretical value (

I the 8).
The experimental value of
the moment of inertia can be
found by exerting a constant
torque on the body. A mass, m 9,
is attached to a string which is
wrapped around the body at some
radius, R 10. (Refer to Figure 1.)
R 11 will be one of the disk radii,
If m 13 is released from
rest and falls a distance, d 14,
t 15, the
during
a
time,
m
acceleration of
16 is given by

Ri 12.

of

a=

2d
t

Figure 1. Experimental determination

moment of inertia.

Once the value of the acceleration is

known, the moment of inertia is deter(4) mined by

- 1 ,
a

2
I exp = m R

(5)

assuming that friction in the supports is negligible.

Theory, Part II
A rough measure of friction in the supports can easily be found.
Suppose the body (without the mass m 17) is initially spun and N 18
revolutions occur during the time T 19 required for the body to come to rest.
Assuming the angular acceleration due to the resistance is constant, its
magnitude is then given by
f=

4N
T

(6)

This should be approximately true for the apparatus. The expression (6)
represents, in some sense, and average value of the angular acceleration due
to friction.)
The magnitude of the resistive torque due to friction in the supports is
f = I f 20. Including this torque in the derivation of the experimental
moment of inertia, the result is

1
g
- 1
,
a 1+ f

a /R

2
I exp = m R

(7)

assuming the resistive torque is constant. ( f = I f 21 is approximately true

for f 22 given by (6) when the mass is not attached to the body. In the
experimental determination of the moment of inertia, when m 23 is attached
to the body, the resistive torque will have an additional contribution that is
proportional to the tension of the string, which connects m 24 to the body.
This contribution is negligible, however, if m < < M total 25.) According to (7) the
validity of (5) rests upon the degree to which the following is true:

f
a /R

<<1 .

(8)

The percentage deviation between I exp 26 in (5) and the more accurate value,
I exp 27, in (7) is then

f
x 100% .
a /R

(9)

Apparatus
o
hanger
o
o
o

mounted rotational body

vernier caliper
string
masking tape

50-gram

short

weight

o 200-gram slotted weight

o two meter stick
o stopwatch

The body is made of a metal alloy and consists of four concentric disks.
(Refer to Figure 2.) The two smaller disks, which lie at either end of the axis,
have identical radii.
The density of the material from which the body is made is given by the total
mass divided by the total volume. The result is
= 7.76 x 103 kg m-3 .

(10)

The string attached to the mass m 28 supplies a force which will be

applied at each of the three different radii of the body. At several of the radii
the string can be attached to the cylinder with some masking tape.

Figure 2. The body consists of four concentric disks.

Procedure, Part I
1) Using the vernier caliper, measure and record the width, w 29, and
diameter, d 30, of each disk. Obtain 3 or 4 significant figures.
Number the disks according to Figure 2.
2) Cut a piece of string slightly longer than two meters in length.
Attach the weight hanger to one end and place the 200-gram weight
on the hanger. The mass is thus
m = 250.0 grams .

(11)

3) Attach the other end of the string to the rim of one of the disks.
Ensure that the string will not slip. Rotate the body, allowing the
string to wrap around the disk without overlapping. Using the two
meter stick, position the bottom of the weight hanger so that its
vertical distance from the floor is
d = 2.000 meters.

(12)

4) Steady the weight hanger. Release the body and measure the time,
t , required for the weight hanger to strike the floor. The timing must
be performed very carefully; start the timer exactly when the body is

released and stop it just when the body strikes the floor. Do not
permit the string to become tangled in the supports. Perform two
more trials.
5) Repeat the procedure at each of the two other radii. The data will
then consist of three time-of-fall measurements for each of the three
different radii. Note that the values of m and d are to remain
constant.

Procedure, Part II
1) Remove the string from the body, and place a small piece of tape on
the rim of the largest disk. The tape will serve as a reference mark
to be used in counting revolutions.
2) Spin the body as fast as possible while still being able to count the
revolutions. The angular velocity will then be comparable to a
typical final angular velocity in Part I.
3) Start the time and count the number, N 31, of revolutions during the
time, T 32, required for the body to come to rest. Record the values
of N 33 and T 34. The data need only be approximate and only one
trial is necessary here.

Analysis, Part I
Construct a data table that contains the width, diameter, radius, and
moment of inertia of each disk, using (2) and (10). Use SI units. Include the
value of 35 in the title of the table. Number the disks according to Figure 2.
Determine and clearly display the value of the total theoretical moment of
inertia, I the 36, to three significant figures.
For each radius, R 37, at which a force was applied, compute the
average value of the time-of-fall, t 38. Using (4) and (12), compute the
acceleration for each value of R 39. Then, using (5) and (11), compute I the 40
for each set of values of R 41 and a 42. Use SI units. Construct a data table
that contains the values of R 43, t 44, a 45, and I exp 46. (This table should

be separate from the table for the theoretical moment of inertia.) Include
both the measured and averaged times-of-fall. Since the values of m 47 and
d 48 are constant, they should be included in the title of the table. Determine
and display the average value of I exp 49.

Find the percentage difference using the equation:

I exp - I the
I the

x 100% .

Report in a table of results the experimental and theoretical values of

the moment of inertia and the percentage difference.

Analysis, Part II
Using (6), compute and display the approximate value of the angular
acceleration, f 50, due to friction. Express the result in units of rad/sec2. For
each value of R 51, compute the angular acceleration, a /R 52, and the
relative measure of the friction, 53. Include these values in the I exp 54 data
table in Part I.

Questions
1) Draw free body diagrams for
derive (5).

m 55 and the disk, and consequently

2) Derive (6).
3) Derive (7).
4) How does the presence of friction in the supports of the body affect
the ideal relationship I exp = I the 56? That is, does friction cause
I exp < I the 57, I exp > I the 58, or I exp = I the 59? Explain.
5) Place a raw egg and a hard-boiled egg on a smooth horizontal
surface. Spin them, giving each approximately the same initial
angular velocity.
Describe and explain the difference in their
subsequent motions.
6) If a raw egg and a hard-boiled egg are simultaneously released from
rest at the top of an incline, and both subsequently roll without
slipping, which one will reach the bottom first? Explain.

Figure 3. Physical pendulums shown with their various axes of rotation.

The position of the center of masses must be calculated.

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