MAPUA UNIVERSITY

School of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Mendoza, Paul Joseph S (2011100546)
PHY11L/B5

ABSTRACT

In todays experiment, our group were tasked to determine the mass moment of inertia of a disk
& ring. We were also instructed to compare the moment of inertia of solid disk rotated at two different
axes: at the center and along its diameter. We need to gather many data in this experiment. The
experiment is divided in to four parts: Determination of Moment of Inertia of Disk and Ring,
Determination of Moment of Inertia of Disk rotated about the center, Determination of Moment of Inertia
of Ring and Determination of Moment of Inertia of Disk rotated about its diameter. After doing many
trials and redoing some of the experiment due to high percentage error, we manage to finally get a
favorable percentage error (Table 1: 4.83%, Table 2: 2.35%, Table 3: 0%, Table 4: 2.18%).

INTRODUCTION the formula that was derived in this equation for

us to use is:
The first thing to realize about moment of inertia 1
= (12 + 22 )
is that it has nothing to do with time. There is no 2
temporal inertial moment. Moment in this case For moment of Inertia of disk, it is also quite
means a tendency to rotate. A moment of inertia similar to that of the hollow ring except that the
is a measure of the resistance to a change in limit is set from zero to R. Therefore:
rotational motion, just as inertia refers to the = 2 , and the infinitesimal
resistance to change in linear motion. One of the volume = (2).
practical example of the importance of rotational

inertia is a flywheel. = 2 (2)

0
1
Moment of Inertia of an object is an indication = ( 2 )( 2 )
2
of the level of force that has to be applied in The total volume of the disk,
order to set the object, or keep the object in = 2
motion about a defined axis of rotation. Moment The total mass of disk
of inertia, which is derived from the Newtons = = 2
Second Law, is sometimes referred to as the And by deriving the moment of inertia we are
second moment of mass and can be calculated now able to have the equation needed in this
using the equation: = 2 where Inertia is experiment as:
directly proportional to its mass and radius. 1
= 2
2
We are also provided all necessary equations for And lastly, we need to get an experiment values
us to use in order to get all data we need for us of moment of inertia by using this formula:
to check if the theories will match the actual ( ) 2
result. =

where m = mass added plus mass of pan
The general expression for moment of inertia of (note: we did not include the friction mass)
a = acceleration of disk/ring, value taken from the
hollow ring is given by = 2 , and the smart timer
infinitesimal volume = (2). Therefore r = radius of shaft
 METHODOLOGY CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

We first set up the apparatus that we will be Moment of inertia describes the difficulty in
using the entire experiment, the rotating rotating the rigid body on the axis of rotation. In
platform and the other equipment needed for this other words, it is the force you need to move or
experiment are the following: stop the body in motion. The moment of inertia
does not only depends on the mass, shape, or
size of the object but rather on the location of
the axis where the object is to be rotated. The
radius or the distance from the rotation of axis
has a great effect on the moment of inertia of a
rotating body. In any case, the object rotated in
different axis will have different moment of
inertia depending on how the mass distributed
We need to make sure
from the axis of rotation.
that the rotating
platform is leveled to
In the experiment, the moment of inertia of the
the surface of the table.
two different rigid bodies were compared-the
By using an app in our
disk and the ring. The disk is solid and when
smart phone, we were
you rotate it from its center, the mass is evenly
able to have it
distributed. The velocity of the mass closer to
calibrated so that there will be less percentage
the axis of rotation is slower than the velocity of
error that we will be getting along the
the mass on the outside circumference. On the
experiment.
other hand, the mass of the ring is concentrated
in a narrow band unlike on the disk. The mass is
We then measure the
far from the axis of rotation. The farther the
radius of the disk, ring
mass is distributed to the axis of rotation, the
and the shaft using a
greater inertia it would have. Therefore the
Vernier Caliper. After
greater the radius of the rotation regardless of
this, we tie a string in
the mass of the object, the greater moment of
the shaft and the
inertia it would have.
hanging mass and put a little amount of weight
so that we can assume that the system is a
After a long trial and redoing our experiment,
frictionless system and we can gather the data
we are able to get the favorable percentage of
more precise and accurate.
error. The first experiment we did the difference
errors that we have obtained were quite high.
After this we install the
This may because during our equipment set up
data cable, the smart
where we have difficulty in balancing the
timer and the photogate
rotating platform causing unbalanced force and
attached to the platform.
uneven distribution of weight.
The setup is now
complete all we need now
is to get the necessary
data we need for us to be
able to get the result.
SAMPLE COMPUTATION
Table I

Given: Trial 2 ( = , = . )

mass of disk, = 1392.8
105(980 2 0.8 2 )(0.82)
mass of ring, = 1429.4 =

0.8 2
radius of disk, = 11.23

inner radius of ring, 1 = 5.37 = 86416.8482

outer radius of ring, 2 = 6.375

= 137480.6107 2 Trial 3 ( = , = . )

, = 0.82
155(980 2 1.1 2 )(0.82)

=
1.1 2

Formula:
() 2 |1 2 | = 92748.105272
= , % = +2 100
( 1 )
2
Average = .

Trial 1 ( = , = . )
|(92748.105272 )89911.290422 |

55(980 2 0.2 2 )(0.82) % = (92748.105272 )+89911.290422
(100)

= 2
0.2 2
% = 2.35
= 181174.8182

Table II
Trial 2 ( = , = . ) Given:


105(980 2 0.5 2 )(0.82)

mass of ring, = 1429.4
=
0.5 2

inner radius of ring, 1 = 5.37
= 138309.3182 outer radius of ring, 2 = 6.375
Actual value = 49655.5872

Trial 3 ( = , = . )


155(980 2 0.9 2 )(0.82)
Formula:

= = () ()
0.9 2

= 113381.95582
= 496552
Average = .
|496552 49655.5872 |
% = 496552 +49655.5872
100
( )
|(137480.61072 )144288.69732 | 2
% = (137480.61072 )+144288.69732
(100) % = 0.0012
2
% = 4.83

Table II
Given:
mass of disk, = 1392.8
radius of disk, = 11.23
radius of shaft, = 0.82

Formula:
() 2 |1 2 |
= , % = 1 +2 100
( )
2

Trial 1 ( = , = . )


55(980 2 0.4 2 )(0.82)
=
; = 90568.9182
0.4 2