Moment of inertia of spherical shell

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SUMMARY

The moment of inertia of a spherical shell with radius R and mass M along its rotation axis is accurately calculated using the formula \(\frac{2}{3}MR^{2}\). The initial attempt incorrectly integrated the moment of inertia of rings, leading to an erroneous result of \(\frac{3\pi MR^{2}}{16}\). The correct approach requires using the surface charge density and integrating the distance squared from the axis, resulting in the correct integrand of \(sin^3\theta\). The integration must account for the spherical polar coordinates to yield the accurate moment of inertia.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of moment of inertia concepts
  • Familiarity with spherical polar coordinates
  • Knowledge of integration techniques in calculus
  • Basic principles of surface charge density
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  • Review the derivation of moment of inertia for different geometries
  • Study spherical polar coordinate transformations in physics
  • Learn advanced integration techniques, particularly for trigonometric functions
  • Explore applications of surface charge density in electrostatics
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Students studying physics, particularly those focusing on mechanics and electromagnetism, as well as educators seeking to clarify concepts related to moment of inertia and spherical coordinates.

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Homework Statement


Moment of inertia of spherical shell of radius R, mass M along its rotation axis is given by [tex]\frac{2}{3}MR^{2}[/tex]
I am trying to calculate this

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution


This is my attempt but is unsuccessful,
since the spherical shell is an assembly of rings (of varying radius), and the MI of a ring is
[tex]I=MR^{2}[/tex]
Hence [tex]dI=y^{2}dm[/tex]
[tex]I=\int y^2(2\pi \sigma ydz[/tex]
Using [tex]y=Rsin\theta[/tex] and [tex]z=Rcos\theta[/tex]
I get:
[tex]I=2 \pi \sigma R^{4} \int sin^{4}\theta d\theta<br /> =2 \pi \sigma R^{4} \frac{3\pi}{8}<br /> =\frac{3\pi MR^{2}}{16}[/tex]
which is incorrect.

Which step I have gone wrong? Thanks
 
Last edited:
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The constant surface charge refers to the spherical surface element which is R^2 sinθ dφ dθ in the spherical polar coordinates. After integrating for φ for a ring, it is dA=2πR^2 dθ. You have to multiply this by σ to get dm, and by the square of the distance from the axis, (Rsinθ)^2. So you have only sin^3 in the integrand. ehild
 

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