To which of the two cubes has a larger moment of inertia?

In summary, the conversation discusses determining which of two cubes has a larger moment of inertia and how to explain it without using the parallel axis theorem. One person mentions that the minimal moment of inertia is through the principal axes that go through the center of mass and also mentions a relevant theorem. Another person suggests using the standard definition of moment of inertia and evaluating the integral for the diagonal case. They also mention trying the 2-D case to gain intuition and suggest computing the moment of inertia tensor.
  • #1
Cosmossos
100
0
To which of the two cubes has a larger moment of inertia?
untitled.JPG

I think it's the right one, is it correct?
How can I explain that without using the parallel axis theorem?
 
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  • #2
Cosmossos said:
To which of the two cubes has a larger moment of inertia?
View attachment 23012
I think it's the right one, is it correct?
How can I explain that without using the parallel axis theorem?

Why do you say the right one? Are you familiar with the relevant equation for calculating the moment of inertia?
 
  • #3
what relevant equation?

I think it's the right one because We know that the minimal moment of inertia is throw the principal axes that goes throw the center of mass. in the right one , the rotation isn't throw the principal axes . there is also the following theorem :

The moment of inertia about an arbitrary axis is equal to the
moment of inertia about a parallel axis passing through the
center of mass plus the moment of inertia of the body about
the arbitrary axis, taken as if all of the mass M of the body
were at the center of mass.

Am I wrong?
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Cosmossos said:
what relevant equation?

I think it's the right one because We know that the minimal moment of inertia is throw the principal axes that goes throw the center of mass. in the right one , the rotation isn't throw the principal axes . there is also the following theorem :

The moment of inertia about an arbitrary axis is equal to the
moment of inertia about a parallel axis passing through the
center of mass plus the moment of inertia of the body about
the arbitrary axis, taken as if all of the mass M of the body
were at the center of mass.

Am I wrong?

There may be a shortcut way to tell which has a higher moment of inertia, but for me, I'd need to calculate it. I'd use the standard definition of the Mmoment of inertia, and evaluate thge integral for the diagonal case. I don't think you can use the parallel axis theorm, since the two axes are not parallel.

I'd do the 2-D case first, to see if it offered some intuition. That is, the moment of inertia for a flat rectangular sheet, with the axes going straight versus diagonal.
 
  • #5
I think they'll turn out to be equal. Try computing the moment of inertia tensor.
 

What is the definition of moment of inertia?

Moment of inertia is the measure of an object's resistance to rotational motion, calculated by multiplying the mass of the object by the square of its distance from the axis of rotation.

How is moment of inertia related to the shape of an object?

The shape of an object plays a significant role in determining its moment of inertia. Objects with a larger mass concentrated farther from the axis of rotation will have a larger moment of inertia.

What is the difference between moment of inertia for a point mass and for a solid object?

Moment of inertia for a point mass is calculated using the mass and the distance of the point from the axis of rotation. For a solid object, the moment of inertia is calculated by integrating the mass of each infinitesimal element of the object around the axis of rotation.

Which of the two cubes will have a larger moment of inertia if they have the same mass and shape?

If the two cubes have the same mass and shape, they will also have the same moment of inertia. The moment of inertia only changes if there is a difference in the mass distribution or shape of the object.

How does the moment of inertia affect the rotational motion of an object?

A larger moment of inertia means that more force is required to change the rotational motion of an object. This means that objects with a larger moment of inertia will be more resistant to changes in their rotational motion.

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