Moment of Inertia of a regular hexagonal plate?

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SUMMARY

The moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate with side length 'a' and mass 'M' can be calculated by decomposing the hexagon into four congruent right triangles and a rectangle. The moment of inertia for each triangular section is determined using the formula I = m h² / 6, where 'h' is the height of the triangle. The correct integration limits for the rectangular section are from (a√3)/2 to -(a√3)/2, leading to the accurate calculation of the moment of inertia for the entire hexagon. The final result is obtained by summing the individual moments of inertia of the components.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of moment of inertia calculations
  • Familiarity with integration techniques in physics
  • Knowledge of geometric properties of regular hexagons
  • Ability to decompose complex shapes into simpler components
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of moment of inertia for various geometric shapes
  • Learn about the application of double integrals in calculating areas and moments
  • Explore the properties of regular polygons and their moments of inertia
  • Investigate the use of numerical methods for complex shape integrations
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Students in physics or engineering, particularly those studying mechanics and material properties, as well as educators teaching concepts related to moment of inertia and integration techniques.

CrimsonFlash
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Homework Statement


How do you calculate the moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate of side a and mass M along an axis passing through its opposite vertices?

Homework Equations


Moment of inertia for a right triangle with an axis running along its base would be I = m h2 /6 where h and m are the height and the mass of the triangle respectively.

The Attempt at a Solution


I tried breaking up the hexagon into 4 congruent right triangles and a rectangle. So there would be 2 triangles at the top, the rectangle in the middle and the two triangles below.
The moment of inertia of the triangle would be = \frac{m a^2} {8} because the height will be = asin60
Mass of this triangular bit = M/12
Density of the hexagon = 2M/(a23√3)
So the rectangular bit in the middle will have moment of inertia equal to this density multiplied by the double integral of x^2 with x running from a√3 to -a√3 and y running from a/2 to -a/2.
This gives moment of inertia for the rectangular bit = 4Ma2/3.
I thought then you finally add all these up to get moment of inertia for the hexagon because integration is a linear operator or whatever. But I get the wrong answer.
 
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CrimsonFlash said:
This gives moment of inertia for the rectangular bit = 4Ma2/3.
Seems too much. Pls post your working.
 
CrimsonFlash said:
So the rectangular bit in the middle will have moment of inertia equal to this density multiplied by the double integral of x^2 with x running from a√3 to -a√3 and y running from a/2 to -a/2.
This gives moment of inertia for the rectangular bit = 4Ma2/3.
I thought then you finally add all these up to get moment of inertia for the hexagon because integration is a linear operator or whatever. But I get the wrong answer.

Silly silly me. The integral for x runs from (a√3)/2 to -(a√3)/2 and this gives the right answer.
 

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