Rotational inertia: a contradiction?

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies the concept of rotational inertia, specifically comparing a hoop and a disk of the same mass. The rotational inertia of a hoop is calculated as I(hoop) = MR², while for a disk, it is I(disk) = 0.5MR². This counterintuitive result arises because the mass distribution in the disk is closer to the axis of rotation, leading to a lower rotational inertia despite having the same mass as the hoop. The key takeaway is that the distribution of mass significantly affects the rotational inertia of an object.

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  • Understanding of rotational dynamics
  • Familiarity with the concept of mass distribution
  • Basic knowledge of calculus for integration
  • Knowledge of standard shapes in physics (hoop and disk)
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  • Study the derivation of rotational inertia for various shapes
  • Explore the concept of moment of inertia in three-dimensional objects
  • Learn about the impact of mass distribution on rotational motion
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amjad-sh
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We know that the rotational inertia I of a certain object is I =∫r∧2 dm where r is the distance between the axis of rotation and the increment of this object that carries a mass dm.

What confuses here is the following:

Take for example a hoop of mass M and radius R.
Integration theory gives that I(hoop)=MR∧2.(where the axis is perpendicular to its center)
Now take a disk of radius R and mass M.
Intuition tells that the rotational inertia of the disk will be larger for the disk as integration will perform more summation here.
But the magical result is that I(disk)=0.5MR∧2 which is even less than I(hoop).

So how that comes?
ramproll7-3.jpg
 
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amjad-sh said:
We know that the rotational inertia I of a certain object is I =∫r∧2 dm where r is the distance between the axis of rotation and the increment of this object that carries a mass dm.

What confuses here is the following:

Take for example a hoop of mass M and radius R.
Integration theory gives that I(hoop)=MR∧2.(where the axis is perpendicular to its center)
Now take a disk of radius R and mass M.
Intuition tells that the rotational inertia of the disk will be larger for the disk as integration will perform more summation here.
But the magical result is that I(disk)=0.5MR∧2 which is even less than I(hoop).

So how that comes?
View attachment 87343

It's only less if the mass of the disk (M) is the same as the mass of the hoop (M). If the two were made of the same material, then the disk would be many times more massive than the hoop.
 
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amjad-sh said:
Intuition tells that the rotational inertia of the disk will be larger for the disk as integration will perform more summation here.
Your intuition is a bit off here. Remember that in deriving these general formulas these objects have the same mass. With the hoop, all of the mass is a distance R from the axis, thus the integral is trivial: I = MR^2. With the disk, much of the mass is closer to the axis, thus it must have a smaller rotational inertia.

These general formulas for standard shapes are always given in terms of M, the total mass. The formulas only differ due to the distribution of that mass.
 
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