Moment of Inertia and axis of rotation

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SUMMARY

The moment of inertia of a hollow square tube about an axis perpendicular to its length can be calculated by modeling it as four rectangular sheets. Utilizing the parallel axis theorem is essential for accurate calculations. Reference materials, such as the Steel Tube Institute's dimension brochure, provide necessary formulas and data for this computation. It is crucial to avoid oversimplifying the shape as a thin rod to achieve precise results.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of moment of inertia concepts
  • Familiarity with the parallel axis theorem
  • Knowledge of calculating the rotational inertia of rectangular sheets
  • Access to engineering reference materials or charts
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the parallel axis theorem in detail
  • Learn how to calculate the moment of inertia for various geometric shapes
  • Explore engineering resources for rotational inertia formulas
  • Review the Steel Tube Institute's dimension brochure for specific data
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Engineers, physics students, and hobbyists working on projects involving structural mechanics and rotational dynamics will benefit from this discussion.

markjc
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What I'm about to ask isn't a homework question, but it is a personal question relating to a home-project I'm working on.

My question is, what is the moment of inertia of a hollow square tube about an axis perpendicular to its length?

Here's a poor diagram: -----|----- (where | is the axis of rotation)

I've attempted to calcuate it a few times and I'm not sure any of my answers make sense. Then again, I'm pretty rusty on these things and there's probably some key concept I'm missing.

Can anyone offer any help and/or explanation?

Thanks
 
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Assuming that you need to calculate it accurately (and thus you can't just treat it as a thin rod), model it as a set of four rectangular sheets. You'll probably need to use the parallel axis theorem. And you can look up the rotational inertia of a rectangular sheet, if you need to.
 
Take a look here and see if the size you need is in the tables. I have my chart at work that has all of my formulas on it. So this will hopefully suffice for tonight.

http://www.steeltubeinstitute.org/pdf/brochures/dimension_brochure.pdf

EDIT: Ahh crud. I just realized that this doesn't include the data you're looking for. Whoops.
 
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