EXPERIMENT 9: ROTATIONAL DYNAMICS

Objective:
To investigate the relationship between torque and angular acceleration and to verify the workenergy theorem for rotational motion.
Theory:
r
r
r
r
r
The rotational analogue to F = ma is  = I
where
is the torque, I is the moment of inertia
r
and
is the angular acceleration. If we apply a torque to a body that can rotate about a fixed
axis, it will undergo an angular acceleration and a change in its angular velocity. Therefore, its
rotational kinetic energy will increase. The rotational kinetic energy is given by KE = 1/2 I
2 ,
where
is the angular velocity (radians per second).

Procedure:
DO NOT ROTATE THE DISK UNTIL AIR PRESSURE IS SUPPLIED
Your instructor will demonstrate proper operation of the apparatus. A steel disk spins about a
vertical axis, supported by a thin layer of air that provides a virtually frictionless support. An
optical scanner counts stripes on the rim to measure the linear speed of the rim. Angular
acceleration is produced by the tension in a cord attached to a small load mass. Although you
will work in groups of two, each student should record his or her own data using a different
value for the small load mass.
1. Being careful not to scratch the air-bearing surface, remove the top disk and measure its mass
and radius. Record these values in a data table. If the sliding surfaces are dirty, clean them
with a chemwipe.
2. Reassemble the system with the thread anchor washer and a small spool attached to the disk
with the thumb screw.
3. With the proper air pressure applied, test the operation of the optical scanner. It counts for
one second, displays for one second, then clears and repeats. The value displayed is related to
the linear speed of the rim which you will convert to angular velocity, as described below.
4. Wind the string around the spool, lifting the small load mass. The first group member should
start with 25g of mass on the hanger and each group member should add an additional 5g
before taking their data. Measure the difference between the height the load starts at and the
height it rises to after falling and coming back up. Well call this
y, the change in
maximum height and will use this in an energy calculation.
5. Release the system from rest and record the rim speed readings over a 30-second interval.
One partner watches the scanner output and calls out the readings while the other writes
down the data. As the weight falls, the disk will speed up, but when the string is entirely
played out, the string will wind back on the spool, raising the weight and slowing the disk
Experiment 9: Rotational Dynamics

down. That is, the angular acceleration of the disk goes from positive to negative. Add plus
and minus signs to your scanner readings to denote clockwise and counterclockwise motion.
Analysis:
1. Angular velocity. Convert the scanner frequency readings to angular velocity. The black
and white stripes on the rim are each 1 mm wide so 1 count/s corresponds to a rim speed of 2
mm/s (one white and one black stripe). Rim speed equals angular velocity
times disk
radius Rd , so the angular velocity in radians per second is given by

f (2.0mm)
Rd
where f is the counter frequency in counts per second from the optical scanner, and Rd is the
radius of the disk in mm.
2. Angular acceleration. Plot angular velocity as a function of time. Use positive and negative
values to denote change in direction of rotation. (Have your instructor check your data
before you proceed.) Then pick an interval in which the velocity changes are all in the same
direction, draw a best-fit line through these points, then evaluate the slope which is equal to
d
.
the angular acceleration
=
dt

=

4. Torque. Calculate the tension in the cord T. The linear acceleration of the falling mass,
M F a , is so small it can be ignored: T = M F (g  a )
M F g . The torque on the disk is
v v v

= T x r , but in our case the tension in the string is perpendicular to the radius of the spool
so
= Tr .


. Compute your


experimental value for the inertia of the disk and compare it to the known value:
I = 12 M d ( Rd ) 2 .

5. Moment of inertia. The moment of inertia can be calculated from I =

6. Finally, check the work-energy relation. From your graph of angular velocity vs time
determine the maximum angular speed,
max. Evaluate the maximum kinetic energy of the
2
2
system, 12 I
max
, and compare it to the total work done on the system. The total
+ 12 M FVmax
work done on the system is the sum of the work done by two forces (gravity and friction) as
the mass falls to its lowest point. The work done by gravity on the load mass as it falls from
release to its lowest point, Wg=MFgxmax where xmax is the distance between the release point
and the lowest point. The work done by friction is half of the energy lost when the falling
mass went down and back up. If
y is the difference between the starting position and the
height the mass rose to after falling down and back up (you measured these in step 4) then
the work done by friction as the mass is falling is Wf =-MFg
y/2. Thus the total work done
on the system as the mass falls is Wtot =MFg(xmax-
y/2). Is this equal to the change in kinetic
energy (since the mass started from rest this is the same as the maximum kinetic energy)
within the experimental uncertainty?
Experiment 9: Rotational Dynamics

Report:
In addition to the standard elements of a well written lab report described in the introduction to
this manual, your report must include:
1) A data table.
2) A graph of angular velocity as a function of time showing how
was evaluated.
3) A comparison of the known and the experimental values of the moment of inertia. These
values should agree to within two significant figures. If they do not, then state the sources of
uncertainty in this experiment that could have caused this discrepancy.
4) A comparison of the work done by gravity and the maximum kinetic energy of the system.
Do these values agree? Recall the Work-Energy Theorem.
Rotational Dynamics Data:
Disk Radius Rd =

(m)

Disk Mass M d =

(kg)

Spool Radius r =

(m)

Falling Mass M F =

(kg)

Distance MF falls X max =

(m)

Change in maximum heigh
y=

TIME
(sec)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
Experiment 9: Rotational Dynamics

RIM SPEED
(cts/sec)

ANGULAR VELOCITY
(radians/sec)

(m)

Experiment 9: Rotational Dynamics