Classical Mechanics – Physics 312 – Homework 15

1. A thin uniform rectangular plate has mass m, length 2a, and width a. The plate is
oriented as shown in the figure above.
a. Find all components of its inertia tensor.
b. Find the angular momentum of the plate if it is rotating about the diagonal through the
origin.

2. For the rectangular plate described in Problem 1, find the principal axes (i.e. find unit
vectors in the direction of each principal axis) and find the moment of inertia of the plate
if it spins about each of its principal axes.

3. A square plate of side a and mass m is tossed into the air so that it rotates freely under
2𝜋𝜋
zero torque. The rotational period is 𝑇𝑇 = 𝜔𝜔 = 1 sec. If the axis of rotation makes an
angle of 45° with the symmetry axis of the plate, find the period of precession of the axis
of rotation about the symmetry axis, and also the period of the wobble of the symmetry
axis about the fixed direction of the angular momentum vector. Solve for two separate
cases:
a. a square plate of negligible thickness,
b. a square plate with thickness a/4.