Calculating Angular Acceleration of a Metal Plate

[NAkid]

Homework Statement

A metal plate in the shape shown has a mass of 2.00kg and hangs from a pivot point located a distance d=0.300m from its center of mass. Its moment of inertia, I_cm, about an axis perpendicular to the plate and passing through the CM is 0.210kg*m2. Calculate the magnitude of the angular acceleration of the plate when theta=0.210 rad.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm really not sure where to start. Does anyone have some insight or a guiding principle?

 

[member 553083]

The moment of inertia for a plate about an axis passing through its CM is I_cm=md^2/4. You can also use the parallel axis theorem to calculate the moment of inertia about any other axis: I=I_cm + md^2. Now that you have the moment of inertia, you can use the equation T=I*alpha to calculate the angular acceleration. T is the torque applied to the plate, and alpha is the angular acceleration. T=I*alphaalpha=T/I