Moment of inertia of a hoop about a point

In summary, the moment of inertia of a circular wire hoop about a point on the hoop can be calculated using the equation Izz = Iyy + Ixx. To find Ixx, the integral of the function (y2)dydx is used, but finding an appropriate function to model the curve can be challenging. To find Iyy, the center of the hoop is made the origin and the integral of (x2)dxdy is used, but a trig-substitution is needed. However, there is an alternative equation that can be used if the components of the inertia tensor about the center of mass are known, which can be used to calculate Izz about any point on the hoop.
  • #1
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Homework Statement


Find the moment of inertia of a circular wire hoop about a point on the hoop.
mass = m
radius = r

Homework Equations


Izz = Iyy + Ixx

The Attempt at a Solution


Well, using the above equation I first tried to solve for Ixx. Since we are looking for the moment of inertia about a point on the hoop I picked an arbitrary point on the hoop to be the origin for the calculation. With my chosen system the hoop would appear suspended from the origin, x-axis running from left to right, y-axis bottom to top and z-axis behind to front.

Ixx = m[tex]\int[/tex][tex]\int[/tex](y2+z2)dydx
z is 0 so it drops from the equation, leaving m[tex]\int[/tex][tex]\int[/tex](y2)dydx

My issue is trying to find some function to model the curve. At first I attempted to use polar coordinates but I couldn't find an equation that would give the shape of the hoop in my coordinate system. Then I used parametric equations for each x and y. x = cos(t) and y = 1 - sin(t), 0<t<2[tex]\pi[/tex] for my limits. dy = -cos(t) and dx = -sin(t). Making those substitutions in the integral and evaluating it I found that one of the integral steps requires a u-substitution, and changing the limits of integration to reflect the substitution would make both limits the same (integral = 0) which doesn't make much sense to me. After that I stopped trying to get Ixx

Trying to find Iyy For this, because shifting the hoop vertically won't affect the distance each point is away from the y-axis, I made the center of the hoop the origin in this calculation. This let me write x = [tex]\sqrt{r^2 - y^2}[/tex]. Setting up the integral, m[tex]\int[/tex][tex]\int[/tex]x2dxdy, with the inner limit between 0 and the above equation for x, and for the y limits, -r/2 and r/2. This would give one side of the loop so I multiplied by 2 to include both sides. Evaluating the inner integral, I get 2m[tex]\int[/tex][tex]\sqrt{R^2-y^2}[/tex]3dy which is evaluated with a trig-sub. However when I make the substitution, because the root is being cubed and an extra r arising from the dy=rcos[tex]\vartheta[/tex]d[tex]\vartheta[/tex], r4 can be pulled out, making it dimensionally inconsistent with the moment of inertia. I spotted a mistake I made while writing this so I will continue again, but I don't think it will work out with an extra r2 outside.

I want to apologize for my obvious terribleness with the equation writing feature here on these forums.
 
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  • #2
I dug through my mechanics book, and there is an equation you can use to calculate the components of the inertia tensor about any point, if you know the components of the tensor about the center or mass. Keeping in mind the point is displaced from the cm by (x,y,z) (so for mine x=z=0, y=-r)

Izz = Izz(cm) + M(x^2+y^2), since x^2+y^2=r^2 regardless of any point on the hoop, and the moment of inertia of a thin hoop is mr^2, Izz about any point on the hoop is 2mr^2.
 

1. What is the formula for calculating the moment of inertia of a hoop about a point?

The formula for calculating the moment of inertia of a hoop about a point is I = mr^2, where m is the mass of the hoop and r is the radius of the hoop.

2. How does the moment of inertia of a hoop about a point differ from the moment of inertia of a solid disk?

The moment of inertia of a hoop about a point is equal to half the moment of inertia of a solid disk with the same mass and radius. This is because the mass of a hoop is concentrated at its outer radius, while the mass of a solid disk is distributed throughout its entire area.

3. Does the radius of the hoop affect its moment of inertia about a point?

Yes, the moment of inertia of a hoop about a point is directly proportional to the square of the hoop's radius. This means that a hoop with a larger radius will have a greater moment of inertia about a point compared to a hoop with a smaller radius, assuming they have the same mass.

4. Can the moment of inertia of a hoop about a point be negative?

No, the moment of inertia of a hoop about a point cannot be negative. It is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in rotational motion and is always a positive value.

5. How is the moment of inertia of a hoop about a point related to its angular momentum?

The moment of inertia of a hoop about a point is directly proportional to the angular momentum of the hoop. This means that as the moment of inertia increases, so does the angular momentum, and vice versa.

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