Solid Dynamics - lecture 6

Moments of Inertia
Moments of inertial for a system of material points

of
Moments of inertia with respect to axes

Products of inertia with respect to axes

Remark:
 Moments of inertia with respect to axes for rigid
bodies
J x = ∫ ( y + z ) dm; J y = ∫ ( x + z ) dm; J z = ∫ ( x + y ) dm
2 2 2 2 2 2

D D D

Products of inertia with respect to axes

J xy = ∫ xydm; J yz = ∫ yzdm; J xz = ∫ xzdm;
D D D

Remark:
Matrix of moments of inertia
Moments and products of inertia with respect to
parallel axes

C is the mass
center of the
system.
The two
frames have
parallel axes.
Moments and products of inertia with respect to
parallel axes

The moment of inertia JΔ about an axis Δ passing through

the mass center C of a system of mass M, changes to J’Δ
about a parallel axis Δ’, distanced by d, as:

J ∆′ = J ∆ + Md 2 Steiner’s
theorem

Proof for the moment of inertia about the Ox axis

The square of the distance between axes

Moments of inertia with respect to axes intersecting in
a point

u = cos α i + cos β j + cos γ k

 Principal moments of inertia

represent the principal moments of inertia, and the directions along which these
extreme values are obtained are the principal axes of inertia.
Moments of inertia for planar systems

Radius of inertia
Moment of inertia for a rod
Given are:
-mass of the rod: M
-length: l
-constant cross-section

About the Oz axis

through the mass
center C of the rod

About the Oz axis

through one end
(A or B) of the rod
Circular disc

- constant thickness
 Rectangular parallelepiped
Consider a homogeneous rectangular parallelepiped of dimensions a, b, c and
mass M,
 The sphere

The moment of inertia of the sphere with respect to its center is

 Application
z
R, M
L, m

Knowing the mechanical moments of inertia about the

mass centers of the components : mL2 2MR 2
J ZC1 = ; J ZC 2 =
12 5
Find the mechanical moment of inertia of the assembly
about Oz shown on the figure