Angular Velocity, Momentum, and Kinetic Energy

In summary: KE :smile:In summary, a 1000kg merry-go-round with a diameter of 4m is given a tangential force of 500N for 10s, resulting in an initial angular velocity of 1.25 radians/sec, angular momentum of 2500 Nxmxs, and rotational kinetic energy of 1562.5 J. After a 1kg girl is placed on the rim, the merry-go-round maintains constant angular velocity and using conservation of angular momentum, we can calculate the new angular velocity and rotational kinetic energy.
  • #1
xobeckynoel
2
0
1. A merry go round (1000kg) initially at rest with a diameter of 4m is pushed with a tangential force of 500N for 10s. Find the angular velocity, angular momentum, and rotational kinetic energy. After this, a little girl (mass - 1 kg) is placed on the rim of the merry go round.. Calculate the final rKE, final angular velocity, and what fraction of the initial rotational KE is lost as heat.



2. I used-
s = r x theta
F = ma
v = d/t
a = v/t
c = pi x d
angular velocity (w) = theta / t
angular momentum (L) = Inertia / w
rKE = 1/2 I w^2




3. By using the basic kinematic equations I got that d = 50m, and then calculated that to be 25 radians. I found theta to be 12.5 radians, and then using the equations found w = 1.25 radians/sec, L = 2500 Nxmxs, and KE = 1562.5 J.

For part B, it says to assume the little girl is a point mass- I am assuming she will decrease the acceleration because she increases the mass... but then I'm still missing time variables. HELP!
 
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  • #2
welcome to pf!

hi xobeckynoel! welcome to pf! :smile:

(have a theta: θ and an omega: ω and try using the X2 icon just above the Reply box :wink:)
xobeckynoel said:
By using the basic kinematic equations I got that d = 50m, and then calculated that to be 25 radians. I found theta to be 12.5 radians, and then using the equations found w = 1.25 radians/sec, L = 2500 Nxmxs, and KE = 1562.5 J.

it's difficult to check your work unless you show your full calculations :wink:
For part B, it says to assume the little girl is a point mass- I am assuming she will decrease the acceleration because she increases the mass... but then I'm still missing time variables.

i think you're misinterpreting the question …

the force (and the acceleration) has stopped before the girl gets on …

the merry-go-round has constant angular velocity both before and after she gets on, and you need to use conservation of angular momentum (momentum and angular momentum are always conserved if there is no relevant external force or torque :wink:)
 

What is angular velocity?

Angular velocity is a measure of how fast an object is rotating or moving in a circular path. It is usually measured in radians per second or degrees per second.

How is angular velocity calculated?

Angular velocity is calculated by dividing the change in angle by the change in time. It is expressed as ω = Δθ/Δt, where ω is the angular velocity, Δθ is the change in angle, and Δt is the change in time.

What is momentum?

Momentum is a measure of an object's motion and is defined as the product of its mass and velocity. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

How is momentum calculated?

Momentum is calculated by multiplying an object's mass by its velocity. It is expressed as p = mv, where p is the momentum, m is the mass, and v is the velocity.

What is kinetic energy?

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. It is a scalar quantity and is dependent on an object's mass and velocity.

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