Conservation of angular momentum problem

AI Thread Summary
Two cylinders with the same rotational energy do not necessarily have the same tangential velocity if they have different radii or masses. The discussion explores the relationship between rotational kinetic energy, inertia, and angular momentum, concluding that while larger cylinders may have lower angular velocities, their tangential velocities are influenced by both radius and angular velocity. It is clarified that the rotational kinetic energy is greater for the cylinder with more mass, such as lead compared to snow, due to higher inertia. The participant ultimately realizes that the tangential velocity will not be equal when considering varying radii and angular momentum. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for solving conservation of angular momentum problems effectively.
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Homework Statement


If two cylinders have the same rotational energy, do the cylinders, though having either different radii or different masses, have the same tangential velocity?

Homework Equations


Rotation Equations (torque, etc)

The Attempt at a Solution


My gut feeling says yes, because of the conservation of energy.

Thank You for any help.

EDIT: My gut feeling says yes, because of the conservation of angular momentum?
 
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If you have two identically-shaped cylinders rotating at the same speed, one made out of snow and the other made out of lead, which will have a greater rotational kinetic energy?
 


ideasrule said:
If you have two identically-shaped cylinders rotating at the same speed, one made out of snow and the other made out of lead, which will have a greater rotational kinetic energy?

I guess the lead one would because of the greater inertia, but what about the case with different radii. The way I see it is, they both follow .5I(omega)^2 so the larger cylinder will have a larger radius but a small angular velocity. But, tangential velocity is multiplying both radius and angular velocity so won't the tangential velocity be equal in this case?
 


Well, I tried using an arbitrary case and my new answer is "no" but I still don't quite get why.
In my case, I designated the radius to be multiplied by 4 and the angular momentum to be multiplied by .5
 


0.5Iw^2 can be rewritten as 0.5I(v/r)^2. Since I=(1/2)Mr^2 for a cylinder, KE=(1/4)Mv^2. So radius doesn't affect kinetic energy as long as mass is constant.
 
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