Answers for Problems from Intro to Rotation

Please let me know if there are places where I am unclear, or you think I am incorrect -- I do make arithmetic and typing mistakes ...

1. Use   theta = theta0 + omega0 * t + 0.5 * alpha * t ^2
  Recall that CW is negative! so (theta - theta0) and omega0 are both negative ...
  the answer you should get is 1.09 rad/s2 CCW.
  Note: if you made CW positive (by not using the negative sign above), your angular acceleration will be negative -- meaning opposite the original angular velocity ==> "slowing down".

2. (a) I used   v2 = v02 + 2a*(y - y0)  and calculated a = 4.5 cm/s2 UP => slowing down, as expected.
(b) since m1 is moving down, the wheel is rotating CCW, and   omega = tangential velocity 1 / R1,
     so omega = 15 cm/s / 2 cm = 7.5 rad/s
(c) radial acceleration = centripetal acceleration = v2 / R = omega2 R = (7.5 rad/s)^2 (5 cm)
        = 2.81 m/s2  towards the center of the wheel
    Note: I assumed the edge meant the outside of the whole wheel at 5 cm.
(d) the angular acceleration, alpha = tangential component of linear acceleration / R, so
   alpha = [ans to (a)] / R1 = 4.5 cm/s2 / 2 cm = 2.25 rad/s2  CW
(e) v2 = omega * R2 = 7.5 rad/s * 5 cm = 37.5 cm/sec  DOWN
(f) arc length s = R * theta in radians  and  the arclength traveled by the wheel is equal to the linear distance traveled by each of the masses, so
    theta = s1 / R1 = 25 cm / 2 cm = 12.5 radians  Note: this is about 2 revolutions.
(g) for m2, it has the same theta, but a different R, so
   s2 = R2 * theta = 5 cm * 12.5 radians = 62.5 cm


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This page maintained by Anne G. Young. Last modified 11-Mar-2005 .