Angular Momentum: Disk + Point Mass at Margin

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SUMMARY

The angular momentum of a disk with a point mass at its margin is calculated by the formula L = (I(disc) + I(point mass))w, where w represents the angular velocity. The total angular momentum can be derived by adding the individual moments of inertia of the disk and the point mass. Specifically, the disk contributes L = (1/2)MR²w, while the point mass contributes L = mR²w. Utilizing the moment of inertia tensor yields the same result when the disk rotates about its center, confirming that the axis aligns with one of the principal axes.

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  • Basic principles of physics involving rigid body motion
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Gavroy
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I asked myself,whether the angular momentum of a disk rotating free in horizontal plane when there is a point mass at the margin of the disc, is given by:
L = (I(disc)+I(point mass))w where w is the angular velocity.

or do I have to use the moment of inertia tensor. i am a little bit confused now...
 
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You are right in just adding the two moments of inertia, that is the same as adding their angular momentum together, which you can do: if you imagine the particle was there without the disk, it would have L=mR2w, and the disk would have L=1/2 MR2w, and then to get the total you could just add the two.

Assuming the disk is rotating about its center, if you used the moment of inertia tensor it would come out to the same thing. I think that that axis would be one of the principal axes, and you would have an integral of x2 + y2 multiplied by the corresponding densities, which would be a circle and a delta function.
 

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