Finding moment of inertia of cone

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the moment of inertia of a cone positioned on its vertex, specifically addressing the integration limits in cylindrical coordinates. The integration limits for the radius, r, depend on the height z, leading to the expression r = (R/h)z, which reflects the cone's geometry. The order of integration significantly influences the limits, with the maximum radius constrained by the current height in the outer integral. Participants clarify that the integration does not involve sine functions due to the linear relationship between radius and height in this context. Understanding these relationships is crucial for correctly setting up the integral for the moment of inertia.
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Homework Statement


Why is it that when you integrate to find the moment of inertia of a cone standing on its vertex (like a spinning top) with height h mass M and radius R do you integrate the R limits as 0 to (R/h)z in the triple integral (cylindrical coordinates) below?

Homework Equations


I = moment of inertia
D = density (M/πR2h)
ρ = R distance from rotation axis (limits from 0 to (R\h)z)
φ = 2π the angle swept (limits 0 to 2π)
z = h the height of the cone (limits 0 to h)

The Attempt at a Solution


I = ∫ρ2dm = D∫∫∫ρ3dρdφdz
 
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I assume you mean the r limits, not R limits.
It depends on the order of integration. If the integration wrt r is the last step then the range is 0 to R. If it is an earlier step then the maximum value of r is constrained by the current value of z in the outer integral.
 
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haruspex said:
If it is an earlier step then the maximum value of r is constrained by the current value of z in the outer integral.

Yeah this is the case but I don't understand where it came from. Why doesn't it involve sines? How do you see it is (R/h)z from the picture? For the problem is was given as capital R for radius
 
Vitani11 said:
Yeah this is the case but I don't understand where it came from. Why doesn't it involve sines? How do you see it is (R/h)z from the picture? For the problem is was given as capital R for radius
R is the maximum radius, i.e. the radius at height h. For the integral, you need a variable for the radius at height z. r seems a reasonable choice.
If the angle of the cone (slope to vertical) is θ then tan(θ) = R/h = r/z.
 
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Okay thanks
 
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