Rotational Kinetic Energy Of A Square

A frustrated painter grabs a wooden frame and throws it through his studio. As the frame flies through the air, it rotates about its central perpendicular axis. (See drawing for an idea of the shape and motion.)

The painter's wife, being a student of physics, observes that whenever a corner of the frame is at the bottom, it is instantaneously at rest.

What percentage of the frame's kinetic energy is rotational kinetic energy?

Assumptions and information

The frame and the hole in it are square and concentric. The side of the square hole is 90% of the side of the frame. The mass is uniformly distributed in the frame.

For a uniform square of side a a with a hole of side b b , the moment of inertia about the perpendicular axis through the center is I = 1 6 m ( a 2 + b 2 . ) I = \frac 1 6 m (a^2 + b^2.)

Ignore the effect of gravity on the path of the frame; assume it is moving in a straight line.

50% 15% 13% 38% 33%

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2 solutions

Arjen Vreugdenhil
Feb 18, 2016

Let a a and b b be the sides of the frame and the hole, respectively; m m is the mass, v v the translational speed, and ω \omega the angular speed. We are told that b = 0.9 a b = 0.9\:a .

The moment of inertia of the frame is I = 1 6 m ( a 2 + b 2 ) = 1 6 m ( 1 + 0. 9 2 ) a 2 = 1.81 6 m a 2 . I = \tfrac 16 m (a^2 + b^2) = \tfrac 16 m (1 + 0.9^2)a^2 = \frac{1.81}6 m a^2.

The corner of the frame is at a distance r = 1 2 2 a r = \tfrac12\sqrt 2 a from the axis of rotation. If it is instantaneously at rest at the bottom of its trajectory, then v = r ω = 1 2 2 a ω . v = r\omega = \tfrac12\sqrt 2 a\omega. (Compare to the condition for rolling without slipping of a wheel!)

For the rotational and translational kinetic energy we may therefore write K r o t = 1 2 I ω 2 = 1 2 ( 1.81 6 m a 2 ) ω 2 = 1.81 6 1 2 m a 2 ω 2 ; K t r = 1 2 m v 2 = 1 2 m ( 1 2 2 a ω ) 2 = 1 2 1 2 m a 2 ω 2 . K_{rot} = \tfrac12I\omega^2 = \tfrac12\left(\frac{1.81}6 m a^2\right)\omega^2 = \frac{1.81}6\cdot \tfrac12 ma^2\omega^2; \\ K_{tr} = \tfrac12mv^2 = \tfrac12 m \left(\tfrac12\sqrt 2 a\omega\right)^2 = \frac12\cdot\tfrac12 ma^2\omega^2. Therefore K r o t K t r + K r o t = 1.81 / 6 1 / 2 + 1.81 / 6 = 1.81 3 + 1.81 = 0.376 38 % . \frac{K_{rot}}{K_{tr} + K_{rot}} = \frac{1.81/6}{1/2 + 1.81/6} = \frac{1.81}{3 + 1.81} = 0.376 \approx \boxed{38\%}.

Suraj Soni
Feb 22, 2016

It is just the ratio of the moment of inertia about the centre and the moment of inertia about a corner

True... can you prove that?

Arjen Vreugdenhil - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Imagine a mass less circle circumscribed on the square..........

And this system undergoing pure rolling on a surface...... It's the same scenario here..... And the point of contact with ground will be instantaneous axis of rotation. .....

Kinetic energy about instantaneous axis is total kinetic energy. ....and about it's center is rotational kinetic energy

Suraj Soni - 5 years, 3 months ago

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