Turntable Rotation with weight on edge v. in the center

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a man standing on the edge of a rotating turntable and moving towards its center. The discussion focuses on how the rotation speed and energy dynamics change as the man alters his position on the turntable, which has a specified mass and radius.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between angular momentum and rotational speed, questioning how the system's inertia changes as the man moves. They discuss the implications of conservation of angular momentum and the effects of centrifugal force.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants offering insights into the calculations of moment of inertia and angular velocity. Some participants are clarifying assumptions about the system's mechanics, while others are verifying the parameters involved in the problem.

Contextual Notes

There are mentions of potential typos in the mass values and the need to clarify the relationship between the man’s position and the turntable's rotational dynamics. The problem setup assumes no external torque is acting on the system.

AROD
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Homework Statement



A man (mass m1 = 100 kg) stands at the fringe of the large rotary table (radius R = 5 m, massm2 = 100 x m1), which rotates at a frequency of 10/min. The man goes along a radius line towards the table center until he reaches the rotation axis. The spatial extent of the man should be neglected.
a) How does the rpm (revolutions per minute) number of the rotary table change (in absolute
und relative terms)?
b) The man has to work against the centrifugal force in order to get to the center of the table.
Show that the work done by the man amounts to the increase of the rotational energy of theentire system.


Homework Equations



conservation of momentum: p = p1 + p2
rotational energy : 1/2mr^2w^2


The Attempt at a Solution



Period of 36s with man on edge. How is it different when he is in the middle?
 
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Your angular momentum can be expressed as I*ω

So won't your I*ω before = I*ω after?

Figure then your I with the 1kg at the edge and 1 kg at the center.

I before = 1/2m*(5)2 + 1*52

What is it after his walk? Then you can figure what happens to ω can't you?
 
How is it different when he is in the middle?
It's not if a motor is maintaining the 10 RPM.
On the other hand, if we have no motor, the thing will speed up as the man's mass moves toward the center like a skater spins faster when his arms are held closer. Maybe you are supposed to use conservation of angular momentum to figure this out.
 
moment of inertia for this disk is 1/2*(mass disk)*r^2 and before with the man on the edge the total inertia is plus also 1/2*(mass man)*(position)^2 ?

and at the end the man is in the center so his distance from center of mass is 0 and doesn't contribute to the intertia, just the total mass
 
That looks great, Arod. I think Lowly Pion typoed the mass of the man in his message.
 
Delphi51 said:
That looks great, Arod. I think Lowly Pion typoed the mass of the man in his message.

Sort of. I calculated it as the turntable being 100 and the man as 1 according to the 100:1 and dropped out m1. My typo really was in not relating that step.
 

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