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Ch 10: Dynamics of Rotational Motion
Chapter 10, Problem 10

A uniform, 4.5-kg, square, solid wooden gate 1.5 m on each side hangs vertically from a frictionless pivot at the center of its upper edge. A 1.1-kg raven flying horizontally at 5.0 m/s flies into this door at its center and bounces back at 2.0 m/s in the opposite direction. (a) What is the angular speed of the gate just after it is struck by the unfortunate raven?

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Calculate the moment of inertia (I) of the gate about the pivot. Since the gate is square and pivoted at the center of one edge, use the formula for the moment of inertia of a square plate about an axis through its center parallel to one edge: I = \( \frac{1}{3} m L^2 \), where m is the mass of the gate and L is the length of a side.
Determine the linear momentum of the raven before and after the collision. Use the formula for linear momentum, p = mv, where m is the mass and v is the velocity of the raven.
Calculate the change in the raven's momentum (\( \Delta p \)) by subtracting the raven's momentum after the collision from its momentum before the collision.
Apply the principle of conservation of angular momentum to relate the change in the raven's linear momentum to the angular momentum imparted to the gate. Since the raven strikes at the center of the gate, the perpendicular distance from the pivot to the point of impact is \( \frac{L}{2} \). The angular momentum imparted to the gate is \( \Delta L = \Delta p \times \frac{L}{2} \).
Solve for the angular speed (\( \omega \)) of the gate just after the collision using the relationship between angular momentum and moment of inertia: \( \omega = \frac{\Delta L}{I} \).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Conservation of Angular Momentum

The principle of conservation of angular momentum states that if no external torque acts on a system, the total angular momentum of that system remains constant. In this scenario, the angular momentum of the raven before the collision must equal the angular momentum of the gate and the raven after the collision, allowing us to calculate the gate's angular speed.
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Moment of Inertia

The moment of inertia is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotation about an axis. For a square gate, the moment of inertia can be calculated using the formula I = (1/3) * m * L^2, where m is the mass and L is the length of a side. This value is crucial for determining how the gate will respond to the angular momentum imparted by the raven.
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Angular Speed

Angular speed is the rate at which an object rotates around an axis, typically measured in radians per second. After the collision, the angular speed of the gate can be found by applying the conservation of angular momentum, which relates the initial and final angular momentum of the system, allowing us to solve for the unknown angular speed.
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