What torque would have to be applied to a rod with a length of 4 m and a mass of 3 kg to change its horizontal spin by a frequency of 2 Hz over 3 s?

1 Answer
May 31, 2016

I got 5.bar(33)pi "N"cdot"m".


The sum of the torques for a rod is written as:

\mathbf(sum vectau = Ibaralpha)

I assume we are looking at a rod rotating horizontally on a flat surface (so that no vertical forces apply), changing in angular velocity over time.

Then, we are looking at the average angular acceleration baralpha. For this, we have:

\mathbf(baralpha = (Deltavecomega)/(Deltat) = (vecomega_f - vecomega_i)/(t_f - t_i) = (vecomega_f)/t),

where if we assume the initial angular velocity vecomega_i = 0, then vecomega_f = Deltavecomega, and with initial time t_i = 0, t_f = t.

Next, for this ideal rod of length L, to find its moment of inertia I_"cm" about its center of mass, we need to take the integral for a uniform rod rotating about its center of mass (the midpoint (0,0)), with infinitesimal mass dm = m/Ldr:

color(green)(I_"cm") = m/Lint_(-L/2)^(L/2) r^2dr

where r would be the distance from the center of mass to the end of the rod, or L/2.

= m/L|[r^3/3]|_(-L/2)^(L/2)

= m/L[(L/2)^3/3 - (-L/2)^3/3]

= m/L[L^3/24 + L^3/24]

= m/L[L^3/12]

= color(green)(1/12mL^2)

Lastly, we should recognize that the frequency is not equal to omega. Actually:

2pif = omega

So, the torque needed should be:

color(blue)(sum vectau) = vectau_(vec"F"_"app") = I_"cm"baralpha

= (mL^2)/12(vecomega_f)/t

= (("3 kg"cdot("4 m")^2)/12)((2pi*"2 s"^(-1))/("3 s"))

= color(blue)(5.bar"33"pi) color(blue)("N"cdot"m")