Another Merry Go Round Question

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the initial and final kinetic energies of a system involving a disk-shaped merry-go-round with a radius of 2.63 m and mass of 155 kg, rotating at an angular speed of 0.615 revolutions per second. A 59.4 kg person running at 3.99 m/s jumps onto the rim of the merry-go-round. The user correctly identifies that the initial kinetic energy (Ki) should be the sum of the kinetic energies of both the person and the merry-go-round, but struggles with the final kinetic energy (Kf) calculation, indicating a need to incorporate angular momentum principles and correct unit conversions for angular speed.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of kinetic energy formulas: KE = 0.5mv² and KE = 0.5Iω²
  • Knowledge of angular momentum and its conservation
  • Familiarity with unit conversions, particularly between revolutions per second and radians per second
  • Basic physics concepts related to rotational motion
NEXT STEPS
  • Review the principles of angular momentum conservation in rotational systems
  • Learn how to convert angular speed from revolutions per second to radians per second
  • Study examples of kinetic energy calculations involving both linear and rotational motion
  • Explore the relationship between linear velocity and angular velocity in rotating systems
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Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of rotating systems, particularly in the context of kinetic energy calculations and angular momentum.

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A disk-shaped merry-go-round of radius 2.63 m and mass 155 kg rotates freely with an angular speed of 0.615 rev/s. A 59.4 kg person running tangential to the rim of the merry-go-round at 3.99 m/s jumps onto its rim and holds on. Before jumping on the merry-go-round, the person was moving in the same direction as the merry-go-round's rim.


(b) Calculate the initial and final kinetic energies for this system.
Ki =
Kf =

So I am stuck on Kf, but for Ki i thought it should just be the sum of the kinetic energy of the man plus the kinetic energy of the disk

I set up my equation like this:

0.5mv^2(KE of person) + 0.5Iw^2(KE of disk) =
0.5(59.4)(3.99^2) + (0.5)(0.5(155)(2.63^2))(0.615^2)

I solved for this and did not get the correct answer which means I have probably set up the equation wrong...can anyone help me out with this?
 
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not sure if this is correct or not but i think you have to use angular momentum and then combine it with the energy formula. and solve for the unknown. so u have to use two equations on this one. what's the answer ur suppose to get?
 
MJC8719 said:
I solved for this and did not get the correct answer which means I have probably set up the equation wrong...can anyone help me out with this?
Again, use correct units for angular speed: radians/sec.
 

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