How Does Catching a Ball Affect the Angular Speed of a Merry-Go-Round?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a child on a merry-go-round catching a ball and examines the effect on the angular speed of the system. It relates to concepts of angular momentum and rotational dynamics.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the conservation of angular momentum and the need to account for the angular momentum of the ball before and after it is caught. There is an exploration of the calculations related to the moment of inertia and angular speed.

Discussion Status

Some participants are providing guidance on identifying potential mistakes in the original poster's calculations. There is an ongoing exploration of the relationship between the angular momentum of the ball and the system's angular speed.

Contextual Notes

The original poster's calculations may be affected by assumptions regarding the angular momentum of the ball before it is caught, and there is a suggestion to clarify the setup and definitions used in the problem.

bewger
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Homework Statement


In the figure below, a 30 kg child stands on the edge of a stationary merry-go-round of mass 100 kg and radius 2.0 m. The rotational inertia of the merry-go-round about its rotation axis is 150 kg·m2. The child catches a ball of mass 1.1 kg thrown by a friend. Just before the ball is caught, it has a horizontal velocity v of magnitude 11 m/s, at angle ϕ = 37° with a line tangent to the outer edge of the merry-go-round, as shown. What is the angular speed of the merry-go-round just after the ball is caught?


11-54.gif

Homework Equations


p = mv
L = Iw


The Attempt at a Solution



So I'm assuming that angular momentum is conserved. Thus,

mv = Iw
I found the total I.
I_merrygoaround = 150
I_child = MR^2 = 120
I_ball = MR^2 = 1.1(rsin(phi))^2 = 1.44
I_total = 271.44

\omega = (mv) / (I_total) = 12.1/271.44 = 0.0445 rad/s

But this is incorrect.
What did I do wrong?
 

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hi bewger! :smile:

you seem to be mixing up the angular momentum of the ball before with the angular momentum of the ball after :wink:
 
Hi tiny-tim

I'm trying to figure out my mistake with your advice, but I'm a little stumped by what you mean by that.

Can you elaborate on that?
 
hi bewger! :smile:

I'm finding it a little difficult to read what you posted (try using the X2 tag just above the Reply box :wink:), but I don't think you've included both the angular momentum of the ball before and the different angular momentum of the ball after :smile:
 

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