Find Moment of Inertia of Horizontal Rod - Help with Integral Setup

In summary, the problem asks to find the moment of inertia of a horizontal rod with a radius of a and a length of L, with the axis through the center in the z direction. The attempt at a solution involves setting up an integral using the formula I = ∫ρr^2dV, with the substitution r = ρ for a cylindrical shape with a length of L/2. The resulting integral is (mL^2)/12, which is the answer for a thin rod of infinite thinness, according to Wikipedia. However, the correct answer is supposed to be m((L^2/12)+(a^2/4)). The person is seeking help in understanding this discrepancy.
  • #1
fredrick08
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0

Homework Statement


find I of a horizontal rod, with radius a and length L, with axis through the centre in the z direction

The Attempt at a Solution


ok can someone please help me set up the integral for this?

i got rho=m/v=m/2pi*a^2*L, I=int(rho*r^2)dV, i used r=rho for cylindrical=L/2

I=(m/2pi)int from -a to a, 0 to 2pi, 0 to L/2(rho^2/a^2*L)drho dtheta dz, that gave me (mL^2)/12, which apparently is the answer for a thin rod, of infinite thinness... according to wiki... but my answer is supposed to be m((L^2/12)+(a^2/4))... can anyone help me understand this better... because I am getting confused with my dimensions.
 
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  • #2
sorry, what i did was wrong in the first place...
 

Related to Find Moment of Inertia of Horizontal Rod - Help with Integral Setup

1. What is the moment of inertia of a horizontal rod?

The moment of inertia of a horizontal rod is a physical property that measures the resistance of the rod to changes in its rotational motion. It is a measure of the distribution of mass around the axis of rotation.

2. How do you calculate the moment of inertia of a horizontal rod?

The moment of inertia of a horizontal rod can be calculated using the formula I = 1/12 * m * L^2, where I is the moment of inertia, m is the mass of the rod, and L is the length of the rod.

3. What is the integral setup for finding the moment of inertia of a horizontal rod?

The integral setup for finding the moment of inertia of a horizontal rod involves setting up an integral to sum up the contributions of all the infinitesimal elements of the rod, taking into account their distance from the axis of rotation.

4. Can you explain the steps for finding the moment of inertia of a horizontal rod using integrals?

First, divide the rod into infinitesimal elements and determine the distance of each element from the axis of rotation. Then, express the moment of inertia of each element as a function of its mass and distance from the axis. Next, integrate this function over the entire length of the rod to get the total moment of inertia. Finally, substitute the values into the formula I = 1/12 * m * L^2 to obtain the moment of inertia of the horizontal rod.

5. What are the units of moment of inertia for a horizontal rod?

The units of moment of inertia for a horizontal rod are kg*m^2, as it is a product of mass and distance squared. This unit can also be expressed as N*m*s^2, where N is the unit for force and s is the unit for distance.

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