Physics SL
Physics SL
5
Chapters
329
Notes
Theme A - Space, Time & Motion
Theme A - Space, Time & Motion
Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter
Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter
Theme C - Wave Behaviour
Theme C - Wave Behaviour
Theme D - Fields
Theme D - Fields
Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics
Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics
IB Resources
Theme A - Space, Time & Motion
Physics SL
Physics SL

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

Unravel Rotational Mechanics: From Graphs To Equations!

Word Count Emoji
616 words
Reading Time Emoji
4 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024

Table of content

Introduction 📌

Remember when we talked about mass in linear motion? In the world of rotations, we talk about something called the "Moment of Inertia". Let's dive into it!

Bite-sized definitions 🍔

  • Moment of Inertia: It’s like the personality of an object when it spins! It tells you how stubborn it is about changing its spin speed. And guess what? This stubbornness changes depending on how you spin it.
  • Axis of Rotation: It's like that imaginary line on which a Beyblade spins. It's all about where and how an object rotates.
  • Inertial Mass: Think of it as the resistance you'd feel if you tried to push a giant boulder. In linear motion, it's the "I won't move that easily!" attitude.

Real-world examples 🌍

  • Flywheels: These are like the storage vaults for spinning energy. Imagine trying to stop a super-fast merry-go-round with your hand - not easy! The further away the weight (mass) is from the center of rotation, the harder it is to stop. That's why flywheels are designed to have their weight far from the center.
  • Neutron Stars: These are dense remnants of exploded stars. Picture spinning a basketball on your finger, but imagine that basketball weighs as much as our sun and spins incredibly fast!

Math time! 🧮

  • For a single point mass (like a bead) spinning in a circle
  • Moment of Inertia (I) = m × r2
  • (Where 'm' is mass and 'r' is the distance from the rotation axis.)
  • For objects with more than one mass
  • I = ∑mr2
  • This means you add up every mass x (its distance from the spin axis)2.
  • Real-life objects are more complicated than point masses, especially if the mass is spread out in different ways. You might need some heavy-duty math (like calculus) for them. But don't worry, during exams, they’ll help you out with the formulas!

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IB Resources
Theme A - Space, Time & Motion
Physics SL
Physics SL

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

Unravel Rotational Mechanics: From Graphs To Equations!

Word Count Emoji
616 words
Reading Time Emoji
4 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024

Table of content

Introduction 📌

Remember when we talked about mass in linear motion? In the world of rotations, we talk about something called the "Moment of Inertia". Let's dive into it!

Bite-sized definitions 🍔

  • Moment of Inertia: It’s like the personality of an object when it spins! It tells you how stubborn it is about changing its spin speed. And guess what? This stubbornness changes depending on how you spin it.
  • Axis of Rotation: It's like that imaginary line on which a Beyblade spins. It's all about where and how an object rotates.
  • Inertial Mass: Think of it as the resistance you'd feel if you tried to push a giant boulder. In linear motion, it's the "I won't move that easily!" attitude.

Real-world examples 🌍

  • Flywheels: These are like the storage vaults for spinning energy. Imagine trying to stop a super-fast merry-go-round with your hand - not easy! The further away the weight (mass) is from the center of rotation, the harder it is to stop. That's why flywheels are designed to have their weight far from the center.
  • Neutron Stars: These are dense remnants of exploded stars. Picture spinning a basketball on your finger, but imagine that basketball weighs as much as our sun and spins incredibly fast!

Math time! 🧮

  • For a single point mass (like a bead) spinning in a circle
  • Moment of Inertia (I) = m × r2
  • (Where 'm' is mass and 'r' is the distance from the rotation axis.)
  • For objects with more than one mass
  • I = ∑mr2
  • This means you add up every mass x (its distance from the spin axis)2.
  • Real-life objects are more complicated than point masses, especially if the mass is spread out in different ways. You might need some heavy-duty math (like calculus) for them. But don't worry, during exams, they’ll help you out with the formulas!

Unlock the Full Content! File Is Locked Emoji

Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Physics SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟