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13. Rotational Inertia & Energy
Intro to Rotational Kinetic Energy
Problem 9.36
Textbook Question
A wheel is turning about an axis through its center with constant angular acceleration. Starting from rest, at t = 0, the wheel turns through 8.20 revolutions in 12.0 s. At t = 12.0 s the kinetic energy of the wheel is 36.0 J. For an axis through its center, what is the moment of inertia of the wheel?

1
First, convert the number of revolutions into radians. Since 1 revolution is equal to 2π radians, multiply 8.20 revolutions by 2π to get the angular displacement in radians.
Use the kinematic equation for rotational motion to find the angular acceleration (α). The equation is θ = ω₀t + 0.5αt², where θ is the angular displacement, ω₀ is the initial angular velocity (which is 0 since the wheel starts from rest), and t is the time. Substitute the known values to solve for α.
Once you have the angular acceleration, use the equation ω = ω₀ + αt to find the angular velocity (ω) at t = 12.0 s. Again, ω₀ is 0, so the equation simplifies to ω = αt.
The kinetic energy (K) of a rotating object is given by the formula K = 0.5Iω², where I is the moment of inertia. You are given that the kinetic energy at t = 12.0 s is 36.0 J. Substitute the known values of K and ω into this equation to solve for the moment of inertia I.
Rearrange the equation to solve for I: I = 2K/ω². Substitute the values of K and ω to find the moment of inertia of the wheel.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Angular Kinematics
Angular kinematics deals with the motion of objects rotating about an axis. It involves parameters like angular displacement, angular velocity, and angular acceleration. In this problem, the wheel's angular displacement is given in revolutions, which can be converted to radians to find the angular acceleration using kinematic equations.
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Kinematics Equations
Moment of Inertia
The moment of inertia is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotational motion. It depends on the mass distribution relative to the axis of rotation. For a wheel rotating about its center, the moment of inertia can be calculated using the relationship between angular acceleration, angular velocity, and kinetic energy.
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Intro to Moment of Inertia
Rotational Kinetic Energy
Rotational kinetic energy is the energy due to the rotation of an object and is given by the formula (1/2)Iω², where I is the moment of inertia and ω is the angular velocity. In this problem, the kinetic energy at t = 12.0 s is used to find the angular velocity, which helps in determining the moment of inertia.
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