Rotational Inertia

A known torque is applied to the three-step pulley on the Rotary Motion Sensor, causing a disk and ring to rotate. The resulting angular acceleration is measured using the slope of a graph of angular velocity versus time. The rotational inertia of the disk and ring combination is calculated from the torque and the angular acceleration. The procedure is repeated for the disk alone to find the rotational inertia of the ring and disk separately.

Grade Level: College

Subject: Physics

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Featured Equipment

PASPORT Rotary Motion Sensor

The PASPORT Rotary Motion Sensor measures angle, angular velocity, angular acceleration and linear position, velocity, and acceleration.

Rotational Inertia Accessory

Add the Rotational Inertia Accessory to a PASCO Rotary Motion Sensor (PS-3220 or PS-2120) to study the rotational inertia of a disk, a steel ring, and point masses.

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Many lab activities can be conducted with our Wireless, PASPORT, or even ScienceWorkshop sensors and equipment. For assistance with substituting compatible instruments, contact PASCO Technical Support. We're here to help.
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Source Collection: Lab #37