Dynamics of

Rotational Motion
 What is one radian ?
• One radian is the angle subtended at the
center of a circle by an arc that is equal in
length to the radius of the circle.
• Radian describes the plane angle subtended
by a circular arc, as the length of the arc
divided by the radius of the circle.
Finding the moment of inertia for common
shapes
The wheel shown in the figure has a mass of m=10kg and a radius of R=30cm. A force of
F=10N is applied from the center of mass. If the wheel moves with an acceleration of
a= 0.6m/s2 without slipping, what is the direction and magnitude of the friction force acting
on the wheel? What is the moment of inertia of the wheel about the axis through its center
of mass?

F
• In a physics lecture demonstration, an instructor ''races''
various round rigid bodies by releasing them from rest
at the top of an inclined plane. What shape should a
body have to reach the bottom of the incline first?
the speed doesn't
depend on either the mass M of the
body or its radius R.

solid sphere,
solid cylinder,
thin-walled hollow sphere,
and thin-walled hollow cylinder.


• For the primitive
yo-yo in Example
10.4, find the
downward
acceleration of the
cylinder and the
tension in the
string.
A yo-yo with radius of the rotation axis R=3.6mm and mass m=120grams is released from rest. If the
2
length of the yo-yo’s string is h=150cm and moment of inertia is I=920g.cm , find the acceleration of
its center of mass. When does the yo-yo reach the lowest point? Calculate the yo-yo’s translational
and angular speed, translational and rotational kinetic energy at the lowest point.
• A solid bowling ball rolls without slipping down the return ramp
at the side of the alley. The ramp is inclined at an angle β to the
horizontal. What are the ball's acceleration and the magnitude of
the friction force on the ball? Treat the ball as a uniform solid
sphere, ignoring the finger holes.
The moment of inertia of the disc attached to the end of the shaft shown in the figure is
I1=0.25kg.m2 and it is accelerated for 5 seconds under the effect of a net torque =2Nm from rest
and is left to rotate freely at the end of the shaft without friction. (The shaft’s moment of inertia can
be ignored)

a) Calculate the disc’s angular velocity at t = 5sec 

b) How many radians does the disc rotate in five seconds  

c) Calculate the disc’s rotational kinetic energy at t = 5sec ER = ?

If a disc (yellow one) with an unknown moment of inertia, the same radius and zero angular velocity
falls on the freely rotating disc (blue one) and sticks, it is observed that the angular velocity of the
new system is =5 rad/s. Calculate the moment of inertia. (I2=?)
The small block of mass m, shown in the figure slides down the frictionless ramp and moves along
the frictionless straight path and sticks to the lower end of the rod of mass M and length l. The rod is
nailed to the wall at its upper end and can rotate freely. After the small block sticks to the lower end
of the rod, the rod rotates an angle of with the vertical direction and stops. Find the angle in
terms of m,M,l and h.

M 
h