Finding angular speed of a system about its center of mass after the impact

In summary, the problem involves a frictionless table, a glob of clay and a bar of mass 1.34 kg. The clay strikes the bar perpendicularly at a point 0.23 m from the center of the bar and sticks to it. The bar is 1.22 m long and the clay is initially moving at 8.3 m/s. The final speed of the center of mass is calculated to be 2.901 m/s. The angular speed of the bar/clay system after impact is found to be incorrect due to the assumption of the same tangential velocity for both the bar and the clay. The correct solution involves conservation of angular momentum, which yields a final angular speed of 158.726
  • #1
Smartguy94
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0

Homework Statement



1. Homework Statement
On a frictionless table, a glob of clay of mass 0.72 kg strikes a bar of mass 1.34 kg perpendicularly at a point 0.23 m from the center of the bar and sticks to it.

If the bar is 1.22 m long and the clay is moving at 8.3 m/s before striking the bar, what is the final speed of the center of mass?

At what angular speed does the bar/clay system rotate about its center of mass after the impact?

2. The attempt at a solution

Here is what I did

Vcm = sum(mi*vi) / total mass

in this case just one body has velocity:
Mclay = .72 kg
Mbr = 1.34 Kg
Mtotal = 2.06 kg
Vclay = 8.3 m/s

Vcm = 2.901 m/s

which is correct, I got the first part, but here is the second part that I got wrong

now calculate the angular speed:

angular speed - omega

omega = v /r

v - is the linear velocity on the trajectory of the body (tangential velocity)
r - is the distance between the body which rotate and the center of rotation

in your case the centre of rotation is the center of mass and r is the distance of the clay to the centre of mass

D = 1.22 m
d = 0.23 m

the centre of the bar related to one end is D/2
the position of the clay related to the same end is d+D/2

Xcm = [Mclay *(d+D/2)+Mbr*(D/2) ]/Mtotal

Xcm = .6904 m position of the center of mass

the angular velocit of the clay:

omega clay = Vclay / D1

D1=(d+D/2)-Xcm = .1496 m

omega clay = 55.477 rad/s

now about the bar:

the center of the bar is situated related to the center of mass at:

Dbar = Xcm - D/2 = .0804 m

If you assume that the bar when it rotate has the same tangential velocity v = 8.3 m/s

omega bar = 8.3 / 0.0804 = 103.249 rad/s

the question is asking about At what angular speed does the bar/clay system rotate about its center of mass after the impact?

and so I add up both the omega of the bar and the clay and got 158.726 rad/s
but it's wrong

Can anyone tell me where my mistake is?
 
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  • #2
You cannot have the bar and the clay with different omega.
You got that because you assumed you had the same tangential speed for the com bar and the clay - but surely the clay will be moving slower after impact?

This is a conservation of momentum problem.

The com speed formula you used is derived from the conservation of linear momentum - you then need to conserve angular momentum.

What is the total angular momentum just before the clay sticks?
What is the angular momentum of the bar+clay afterwards?
 

1. What is angular speed?

Angular speed, also known as rotational speed, is the rate at which an object rotates around its center of mass. It is measured in radians per second (rad/s) or revolutions per minute (rpm).

2. How is angular speed calculated?

Angular speed can be calculated by dividing the angular displacement (change in angle) by the time it takes for the object to rotate that amount. This can be represented by the formula: ω = Δθ/Δt, where ω is the angular speed, Δθ is the angular displacement, and Δt is the time taken.

3. What is the difference between angular speed and linear speed?

Angular speed and linear speed are two different ways of measuring the speed of an object. Angular speed measures how quickly an object is rotating, while linear speed measures how quickly an object is moving in a straight line. Angular speed is measured in units of angle per unit of time, while linear speed is measured in units of distance per unit of time.

4. How does a system's mass affect its angular speed?

The mass of a system does not directly affect its angular speed. However, the distribution of mass within the system can affect its moment of inertia, which is a measure of an object's resistance to rotational motion. Objects with larger moments of inertia will have slower angular speeds than objects with smaller moments of inertia, given the same amount of torque (rotational force).

5. How does an impact affect the angular speed of a system?

An impact can cause a change in angular speed if it applies a torque to the system. The magnitude and direction of the torque will depend on the force of the impact and the distance from the impact to the center of mass. Additionally, if there is no external torque acting on the system, the total angular momentum (a measure of the system's tendency to resist changes in its rotational motion) will remain constant before and after the impact.

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