Angular Momentum Question concerning a Merry Go Round

In summary: Yes. That is the final angular velocity. So you know three things:...In summary, if you apply a force to the rim of a spinning steel disk, this torque increases the disk's angular momentum. If you then jump on the disk with your mass, the disk's rate of spin will decrease.
  • #36
PhysicsA1 said:
Here are the questions again.

If the steel disk has mass of 200 kg and a radius of 2 meters you can make it spin by applying a force to the rim. This torque increases the angular momentum of the disk. Suppose the force is 20 Newtons. How long would you have to apply it to get the wheel spinning 5 times a minute?

What would happen to the rate of spin if you then jumped on the rim of the wheel with your mass of 60 kg?
Yes, I read and understood the question.
When you calculated the modified moment of inertia for the last part, you treated it as though, in jumping on the disk, your 60kg became evenly spread over its surface. Not ideal behaviour for playground equipment.
 
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  • #37
haruspex said:
Yes, I read and understood the question.
When you calculated the modified moment of inertia for the last part, you treated it as though, in jumping on the disk, your 60kg became evenly spread over its surface. Not ideal behaviour for playground equipment.

So it will only be effecting the side of which i jump on. How in return will that actually be calculated then?
 
  • #38
PhysicsA1 said:
So it will only be effecting the side of which i jump on. How in return will that actually be calculated then?
The axis is still the post on which the merry-go-round spins. You have to add your moment of inertia about that axis to that of the disk.
What is the moment of inertia of a point mass rotating around an axis?
 
  • #39
haruspex said:
The axis is still the post on which the merry-go-round spins. You have to add your moment of inertia about that axis to that of the disk.
What is the moment of inertia of a point mass rotating around an axis?

I honestly have no clue
 
  • #41
M = I.α => M = I.(Δω/Δt)=> Δt = I.Δω/M => Δt = 400 . (π/6) / 40 => Δt = 5π/3 s

I do not know if that's the way it is. What do you think?
 
Last edited:
  • #42
Caio Graco said:
M = I.α => M = I.(Δω/Δt)=> Δt = I.Δω/M => Δt = 400 . (π/6) / 40 => Δt = 5π/3 s

I do not know if that's the way it is. What do you think?
You do not need any calculus. You already had that I0ω0=I1ω1, conservation of angular momentum. You were going wrong in calculating I1, the sum of the disk's moment of inertia (I0) and your moment of inertia about the disk's axis.
We can treat you as a point mass. What (I ask again) is the moment of inertia of a point mass m about an axis distance r from the mass? I gave you a link to look this up. What did you learn?
 
  • #43
haruspex said:
You do not need any calculus. You already had that I0ω0=I1ω1, conservation of angular momentum. You were going wrong in calculating I1, the sum of the disk's moment of inertia (I0) and your moment of inertia about the disk's axis.
We can treat you as a point mass. What (I ask again) is the moment of inertia of a point mass m about an axis distance r from the mass? I gave you a link to look this up. What did you learn?
The conservation of angular momentum can only be used for the second question. In the first (for which I did the math) can not be conservation of the moment, as there is the actuation of an external torque.
 
  • #44
Caio Graco said:
The conservation of angular momentum can only be used for the second question. In the first (for which I did the math) can not be conservation of the moment, as there is the actuation of an external torque.
I thought the first part was settled at post #25. I only came in at post #32, where the discussion had moved to the second question, so I assumed your post #41 was in relation to the second question.
 
  • #45
haruspex said:
I thought the first part was settled at post #25. I only came in at post #32, where the discussion had moved to the second question, so I assumed your post #41 was in relation to the second question.
OK Alright.
 

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