Increasing speed by decreasing intertia?

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the physics of two horizontal disks stacked and spinning around a frictionless axis. It concludes that removing the top disk does not increase the speed of the bottom disk due to the conservation of momentum and inertia. Each disk maintains its own velocity and momentum independently. However, it is noted that a properly designed mechanism could allow the top disk to slow down while the bottom disk speeds up.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts such as momentum and inertia
  • Familiarity with rotational dynamics
  • Knowledge of frictionless systems
  • Basic grasp of mechanical design principles
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of conservation of momentum in rotational systems
  • Explore the mechanics of frictionless motion and its applications
  • Study the design of mechanisms that can alter the speed of rotating bodies
  • Investigate the effects of inertia on multi-body systems in physics
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, mechanical engineers, and anyone interested in the dynamics of rotating systems and momentum conservation.

Allen Dowe
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Just curious, explanation if youre going to answer please!

2 horizontal disks stacked on one another spinning at constant v, (about a frictionless axis perpendicular to their center), both have mass.

Okay, so let's say its possible to instantaneously remove the top disk. So would that make the other spin faster?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It would not. Each disk has its own velocity, momentum, inertia, etc. Removing one does not change the other. We don't even need to magically remove one of the disks. We can just assume there is some mechanism that pushes the top disk off of the bottom disk and off of the axle connecting the two.
 
+1.

It would be possible for the top disc to slow down and the bottom one to speed up if the mechanism that separates them was correctly designed.
 

Similar threads

High School The Effect of Linear and Rotational Motion on Measured Weight
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
1K
Undergrad How do I add "rotation" vectors (pseudo-vectors?)
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Undergrad Confused about the axis of rotation in rotational motion w/o slipping
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K
Undergrad Normal force in rotational motion
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
7K
Undergrad Reconciling the Coriolis Force Contradiction on a Spinning Disk
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
Graduate Rotating Sphere: Conceptual Question
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Graduate Can conservation of angular momentum cause rotational phase shift?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Angular Momentum Problem: Mouse walking on a rotating turntable
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
High School Explanation of how spin art machine works
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
6K
Undergrad Conceptual angular momentum question
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
7K