Moment of Intertia of a cylinder rolling inside a cylinder

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of moment of inertia of a cylinder inside a cylinder. The formula for the moment of inertia is given as I_o = I_s + m (R-r)^2, where I_o is the moment of inertia around point o, I_s is the moment of inertia of the smaller cylinder, and m is the mass of the smaller cylinder. However, the actual answer is 1.5 m (R-r)^2, which suggests that there is an additional component due to the smaller cylinder rotating about its own axis while rotating about the larger cylinder's axis. Clarification on this matter is requested.
  • #1
Elanorin
1
0
Hi all, I just have a troublesome time wrapping my head around the concept of moment of inertia of a cylinder inside a cylinder. For example, in the attached figure

The moment of inertia of the cylinder with radius 'r' around the point o, according to my understanding should be

[itex] I_o = I_s+ m (R-r)^2[/itex]
Where
[itex] I_o [/itex] is the moment of inertia around point o

[itex] I_s [/itex] is the moment of inertia of the small cylinder = [itex] 0.5 m r^2 [/itex]

m is the mass of the small cylinder
I believe my understanding above is wrong, since the actual answer is [itex] 1.5 m (R-r)^2 [/itex]. Any help to clarify is appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • Cylinder_inside_cylinder.PNG
    Cylinder_inside_cylinder.PNG
    6.7 KB · Views: 560
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
I think that there is an additional component caused by the fact that the smaller cylinder would also be rotating about it's own axis at the same time it is rotating about the larger cylinder's axis as well.
 

1. What is moment of inertia?

Moment of inertia is a physical property of a rotating object that measures its resistance to change in rotational motion. It is analogous to mass in linear motion.

2. How is moment of inertia of a cylinder rolling inside a cylinder calculated?

The moment of inertia of a cylinder rolling inside a cylinder can be calculated using the formula I = (2/5)MR^2, where M is the mass of the inner cylinder and R is the radius of the outer cylinder.

3. How does the moment of inertia change if the inner cylinder is filled with a different material?

The moment of inertia of the inner cylinder will change if it is filled with a different material because the mass and distribution of mass will be different. This will affect the rotational inertia of the system.

4. Does the moment of inertia of a cylinder rolling inside a cylinder affect its speed?

Yes, the moment of inertia plays a role in determining the speed of a cylinder rolling inside a cylinder. Objects with higher moment of inertia will have a slower rotational speed compared to objects with lower moment of inertia.

5. What are the real-life applications of understanding moment of inertia?

Understanding moment of inertia is important in many fields, such as engineering and physics. It is used in designing and analyzing rotating machinery, calculating the stability of vehicles, and predicting the motion of objects in space.

Similar threads

Replies
7
Views
765
Replies
39
Views
2K
Replies
13
Views
905
Replies
12
Views
359
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Mechanical Engineering
Replies
5
Views
8K
Replies
7
Views
5K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
22
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
12
Views
2K
Back
Top