Moment of Inertia for a Sphere with Lead Coating

In summary, a sphere has a solid wood part and a lead shell. The lead shell has an area density of 20 kg/m^2, so you can find the mass of the lead using the area density times the surface area of the sphere. The sphere has zero volume, so its moment of inertia wrt an axis passing through its center is given in post #5.
  • #1
MAPgirl23
65
0
A sphere consists of a solid wooden ball of uniform density 800 kg/m^3 and radius 0.20 m and is covered with a thin coating of lead foil with area density 20 kg/m^2.

How do I calculate the moment of inertia of this sphere about an axis passing through its center?

** The equation I'm using for the solid sphere is I = 2/5 * M * R^2
Here again I know the mass of the inner sphere is the density times the volume of the sphere. They gave me the area density for the layer of lead, so you can find the mass of the lead using the area density times the surface area of the sphere. By definition of moment of inertia, the total moment of inertia of the sphere is the sum of the moment of inertia of the solid wood part, plus the moment of inertia of the lead shell. Is this method wrong? Do you not get the moment of density this way without being given mass but instead given density?
Please help.
 
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  • #2
MAPgirl23 said:
A sphere consists of a solid wooden ball of uniform density 800 kg/m^3 and radius 0.20 m and is covered with a thin coating of lead foil with area density 20 kg/m^2.

How do I calculate the moment of inertia of this sphere about an axis passing through its center?

** The equation I'm using for the solid sphere is I = 2/5 * M * R^2
Here again I know the mass of the inner sphere is the density times the volume of the sphere. They gave me the area density for the layer of lead, so you can find the mass of the lead using the area density times the surface area of the sphere. By definition of moment of inertia, the total moment of inertia of the sphere is the sum of the moment of inertia of the solid wood part, plus the moment of inertia of the lead shell. Is this method wrong?
No, this is a correct method.
Do you not get the moment of density this way without being given mass but instead given density?
I'm sorry, I don't understand your question.
 
  • #3
The answer= MI of wooden solid sphere+ MI of lead shell
 
  • #4
volume of sphere: 4/3 * pi * r^3
surface area sphere: 4 * pi *r^2

mass of lead: 20 * (4 * pi * 0.2^2) = 10 kg
mass of sphere: 800 * (4 * pi * 0.2^2) = 26.8 kg

I solid sphere: 2/5 * 26.8 * 0.2^2 = 0.429
I lead shell: what do I use?
 
  • #5
MAPgirl23 said:
I lead shell: what do I use?

[tex]I = \frac{2}{3}MR^2[/tex]
 
  • #6
Incidentally,the sphere has zero volume and its moment of inertia wrt an axis passing through its center is given in post #5.

BTW,what do you mean by solid sphere,is it a special sphere,i dunno,similar to a plasma or liquid one...?

Daniel.
 
  • #7
:rolleyes:.
 

What is density?

Density is a measure of how much mass is contained in a given unit of volume. It is calculated by dividing the mass of an object by its volume. The unit of density is typically expressed in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm^3) for solids and liquids, and in grams per liter (g/L) for gases.

What is the moment of inertia?

The moment of inertia is a physical property of an object that describes how resistant it is to rotational motion. It is calculated by multiplying the mass of the object by the square of its distance from the axis of rotation. The unit of moment of inertia is typically expressed in kilograms per square meter (kg/m^2).

How is density related to mass and volume?

Density is directly related to both mass and volume. As the mass of an object increases, its density also increases. Similarly, as the volume of an object increases, its density decreases. This relationship can be expressed by the formula: density = mass/volume.

What factors affect the density of an object?

The density of an object is affected by its composition, temperature, and pressure. Objects with a higher proportion of heavy elements will have a higher density. As temperature increases, the volume of an object also increases, leading to a decrease in density. Additionally, as pressure increases, the volume of an object decreases, resulting in an increase in density.

How is moment of inertia used in engineering and physics?

The moment of inertia is an important property in engineering and physics, particularly in the design of rotating machinery and structures. It is used to calculate the torque needed to accelerate a rotating object, as well as its angular velocity and kinetic energy. In physics, it is used to understand the rotational motion of objects and the distribution of mass in a system.

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