Copyright © Michael Richmond.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Workshop 1C: Parallel-axis theorem, torque
How can you compute the moment of inertia of
an object? Well, it depends on how complicated
the situation is.
- If the object is just a few compact chunks of mass, use
- If the object is extended, with a non-uniform density,
you'll need to break the object into simple little pieces
and add up the moment of inertia from each piece:
- If the object is a simple geometrical shape,
AND it has a constant density,
AND it is rotating around its center,
use the table in your textbook, Table 9.2.
- If the object is a simple geometrical shape,
AND it has a constant density,
but it is NOT rotating around its center,
you can use the table in your textbook
and the parallel axis theorem .
Read Section 9.5 or
this very brief explanation .
Copyright © Michael Richmond.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.