A solid disk, spinning counter-clockwise, has a mass of 15 kg15kg and a radius of 6 m6m. If a point on the edge of the disk is moving at 2 m/s2ms in the direction perpendicular to the disk's radius, what is the disk's angular momentum and velocity?

1 Answer
Dec 30, 2016

The angular momentum of the disk is 90 (kgm^2)/s90kgm2s, and the angular momentum is 1/3(rad)/s13rads.

Explanation:

Angular momentum is given by vecL=IomegaL=Iω, where II is the moment of inertia of the object, and omegaω is the angular velocity of the object.

The moment of inertia of a solid disk is given by I=1/2mr^2I=12mr2, and angular velocity is given by v/rvr, where vv is the tangential velocity and rr is the radius.

We are given that m=15kgm=15kg, r=6mr=6m, and v=2m/sv=2ms. We can use these values to calculate the moment of inertia and angular velocity, and ultimately the angular momentum.

omega=v/r=(2m/s)/(6m)ω=vr=2ms6m

=>omega=1/3(rad)/sω=13rads

This is the angular velocity. Note this is a positive quantity as the disk spins counter-clockwise, which by convention is the positive direction.

Note: The radian is a defined unit. It's definition of a ratio of two lengths makes it a pure number without dimensions. The unit of angle, be it radians, degrees, or revolutions, is really just a name to remind us that we're dealing with angle. Consequently, the radian unit seems to appear or disappear without warning. Above we have velocity divided by distance, which we would expect to have units of s^-1s1, but because this division gives an angular quantity, we've inserted a dimensionless unit (radians) to give omegaω the appropriate units(1). Do not mistake this for a frequency and multiply by 2pi2π.

I=1/2mr^2=1/2(15kg)(6m)^2I=12mr2=12(15kg)(6m)2

=>I=270 kgm^2I=270kgm2

This is the moment of inertia.

We can now calculate the angular momentum:

vecL=Iomega=(270kgm^2)*(1/3(rad)/s)L=Iω=(270kgm2)(13rads)

=>vecL=90 (kgm^2)/sL=90kgm2s

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  1. Knight, R. D. In Physics for Scientists and Engineers ; Houston, A., Ed.; Pearson: Glenview, IL, 2013; pp 99, 102.