Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION XIII - CARAGA
CITY DIVISION OF TANDAG
CITY OF TANDAG
TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Tabon-Tabon, Barangay Quezon

General Physics I – STEM 12

Quarter 2 - Week 1

ROTATIONAL MOTION
LEARNING COMPETENCY: Calculate the moment of inertia about a given axis of single-object and multiple-
object systems (STEM_GP12RED-IIa-1).
General Directions:
You are going to explore rotational motion, understanding the moment of inertia through various
activities and problems set in this worksheet. Your will begin with a pre-test, transition through a detailed
discussion, and progress into solving problems of varying complexities.
• Ensure to read through the provided discussion thoroughly to grasp the necessary concepts and
formulas.
• Write your answers clearly in a 1(or more) whole sheet of paper as directed in each activity.
• For multiple choice questions in Activity 2, choose the correct answer and write it down on your answer
sheet.
• In Activities 3 and 4, follow the problem statements and directions given, solving the problems, and
explaining your answers meticulously.
• Show all necessary steps in your calculations and provide concise yet detailed explanations where
required.
PRE-TEST – Activity 1
CONCEPTS IN A BOX: Complete the chart by supplying the right words/phrases related to rotational motion.
The words/phrases are provided in the box below.
Kepler’s laws of planetary motion linear motion kinematics

motion about an axis law of periods escape velocity

law of equal areas law of ellipses angular quantities planetary motion

 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION XIII - CARAGA
CITY DIVISION OF TANDAG
CITY OF TANDAG
TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Tabon-Tabon, Barangay Quezon

DISCUSSION:
• Inertia is defined as the tendency of an object at rest to remain at rest and an object in motion to stay
moving in a straight line at a constant velocity. A similar principle applies to objects moving in rotational
motion.
• Moment Of Inertia Moment of inertia also known as rotational inertia, is defined as the property of
a rotating body to resist change in its state of rotation.
• The SI unit for the moment of inertia is kg· m2.
• An object rotating about an axis tends to continue rotating about that axis unless an unbalanced
external force (torque) tries to stop it. This is because objects tend to resist any change in their state
of motion. This resistance is physically embodied in the mass of the object.
• Moment of inertia depends on the distribution of the mass. A mass which is at greater distance from
the axis of rotation has a greater moment of inertia compared to the same mass which is near the
axis of rotation. Thus, dumbbell A is more difficult to rotate than dumbbell B.

Figure 1. Dumbbell B is easier to rotate because its

masses are near its axis of rotation; hence the dumbbells’
moment of inertia is smaller. The opposite can be said of
dumbbell A. (Padua and Crisostomo 2003)
Figure 2. The moment of inertia in A comparatively
small because the limbs are drawn near the spin axis.
The moment of inertia in B increases because of the
bent knees. The moment of inertia reaches its maximum
in C because of the extended arms and legs which are
perpendicular to the axis. (Padua and Crisostomo, 2003)
• The moment of inertia gives a measurement of the resistance of the body to a change in its rotational
motion. The larger the moment of inertia of a body, the more difficult it is to put that body into rotational
motion or the larger the moment of inertia of body, the more difficult it is to stop its rotational motion.
• The moment of inertia of a particle about an axis is obtained by multiplying the mass by the square of
its distance from the axis.
𝐼𝐼 = 𝑚𝑚𝑟𝑟 2
I where is the moment of inertia;
m is mass; and
r is distance from the axis of rotation

• For a system made up of several particles, the moment of inertia of the system is the sum of the
individual moments of inertia.
𝐼𝐼 = 𝑚𝑚1 𝑟𝑟1 2 + 𝑚𝑚2 𝑟𝑟2 2 + 𝑚𝑚3 𝑟𝑟3 2 …
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION XIII - CARAGA
CITY DIVISION OF TANDAG
CITY OF TANDAG
TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Tabon-Tabon, Barangay Quezon

• Radius of gyration (k) is the distance from an axis of rotation where the mass of a body may be
assumed to be concentrated without altering the moment of inertia of the body about that axis. Radius
of gyration is analogous to the center of mass.

K – radius of gyration
I – moment of inertia
m – mass of the object

• It is important to remember that when moment of inertia is asked for, it is a must to determine first
about what axis the rotation will takes place. Because 𝑟𝑟 is different from each axis and, since 𝐼𝐼 differs
𝑟𝑟2 2 , as 𝐼𝐼 is also different from each axis.
• Calculus is usually used to solve for the moment of inertia. However, for simplicity, figure 3 below
shows how values of the moments of inertia for some symmetrical bodies about different axis can be
determined.

Figure 3. Moment of inertia of uniform and regular shaped bodies (Silverio, 2017)
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION XIII - CARAGA
CITY DIVISION OF TANDAG
CITY OF TANDAG
TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Tabon-Tabon, Barangay Quezon

Sample Problems:
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION XIII - CARAGA
CITY DIVISION OF TANDAG
CITY OF TANDAG
TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Tabon-Tabon, Barangay Quezon

Activity 2 - Understanding Rotational Motion and Moment of Inertia (Unistructural and Multistructural)
Directions: Choose the correct answer for each question. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. What is the SI unit for the moment of inertia?

a) N·m c) kg·m/s
b) kg·m2 d) N·m2

2. The moment of inertia of a particle about an axis is obtained by multiplying the _____ by the square
of its distance from the axis.
a) velocity c) force
b) acceleration d) mass

3. Which formula represents the moment of inertia of a single particle about a given axis?
a) I=m⋅r c) I=m⋅v
b) I=m⋅r 2
d) I=m⋅a
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION XIII - CARAGA
CITY DIVISION OF TANDAG
CITY OF TANDAG
TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Tabon-Tabon, Barangay Quezon

4. In the formula I=m⋅r2, what does 'r' represent?

a) Radius c) Rotation
b) Revolution d) Resistance

5. What is the primary factor that the moment of inertia depends upon?
a) Temperature c) Velocity
b) Distribution of mass d) Force applied

6. If two objects have the same mass but different shapes, will they have the same moment of inertia?
a) Yes, because the moment of inertia is solely dependent on mass.
b) No, because the distribution of mass in relation to the axis of rotation also affects the moment of
inertia.
c) Yes, because different shapes do not affect the rotational motion of objects.
d) No, because different shapes will have different distances of mass from the axis of rotation,
affecting the moment of inertia

7. Which of the following factors do NOT affect the moment of inertia of a rotating body?
a) Mass c) Shape of the object
b) Distance from the axis of rotation d) Color of the object

8. How does an unbalanced external force (torque) affect a rotating object?

a) It changes its state of rotation c) It changes its shape
b) It changes its color d) It changes its mass

9. If the distribution of mass is closer to the axis of rotation, the moment of inertia will be:
a) Higher c) Unchanged
b) Lower d) Doubled

10. In a system of several particles, how is the moment of inertia of the system calculated?
a) By adding the masses of all particles
b) By subtracting the moments of inertia of individual particles
c) By adding the moments of inertia of individual particles
d) By multiplying the moments of inertia of individual particles

Activity 3: System of Particles – 5 points each number (Relational)

Directions: Answer the following questions based on the problem statement given.

Problem Statement
Consider a system of three particles with masses m1=3kg, m2=4kg, and m3=5kg. The distances of these
particles from the axis of rotation are r1=2m, r2=3m, and r3=4m respectively.

1. Calculate the moment of inertia of the system about the given axis.

2. Explain how the individual moments of inertia of each particle contribute to the overall moment of
inertia of the system.

Activity 4: Disk and Ring Dilemma – 5 points each number (Extended Abstract)
Directions: Answer the following questions based on the problem statement given.

Problem Statement
Consider a disk and a ring both having a mass of 10kg. The disk has a radius of 0.5m while the ring has an
inner radius of 0.4m and an outer radius of 0.6m.
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION XIII - CARAGA
CITY DIVISION OF TANDAG
CITY OF TANDAG
TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Tabon-Tabon, Barangay Quezon

1. Calculate the moment of inertia of the disk and the ring about an axis passing through their centers
and perpendicular to their planes.

2. Discuss the differences in the moments of inertia of the disk and the ring. Reflect on how the
distribution of mass affects the moment of inertia and the rotational dynamics of the systems.

3. Generalize the concept of moment of inertia and explain its significance in understanding rotational
motion, using insights from your calculations and comparisons.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination
embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
~ Albert Einstein

Prepared by: Sir Tata