Moment Of Inertia

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Moment of Inertia & Rotational Dynamics Lab Experiment Objective: Find the moment of inertia for the top disk only and then both disks together, this allows you to find the moment of inertia of the bottom disk only. Equipment: Computer and program, computer interface, smart pulley, one hanging mass, string, spool/disk kit, digital caliper, bubble level. Theory: Moment of inertia is described as resistance to rotate and in this lab we examine these effects. There are two discs on an axis that have mass and are free to rotate. If you attach a string to the axis and on the other end a weight and then drape the string over the pulley and allow the weight to fall, the disk will begin to rotate. It just doesn’t rotate as fast as you would think because of its rotational inertia. There are many things that affect the rate at which the disk(s) rotate; like the radius of the disk(s) or the mass of the hung weight. You are taking the acceleration of the weight and then finding rotation of the disk and it’s moment of inertia. Doing this is connecting the linear world to the rotational world. Procedure: Part 1: a. Find the mass of the hanging weight using a top loading balance. b. Use a digital caliper to find the diameter of the spools thus getting the radius. c. Put the weight on the string and drape it over the pulley. d. Release the weight and hit start on the computer to start collecting data. e. Stop the computer program just before the weight gets to the end of the string. f. Use the computer data to get the tangential acceleration and use that for your calculations. Part 2: a. Put the weight on the string an drape it over the pulley. b. Release the weight and hit start on the computer to start collecting data. c. Stop the computer program just before the weight gets to the end of the string. d. Use the computer program to get
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