Tutorials In Introductory Physics Homework Dynamics Of Rigid Bodies

Tutorials in Introductory Physics Homework: Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

Tutorials in Introductory Physics is a series of physics tutorials designed by a leading physics education research group at the University of Washington. The tutorials emphasize the development of concepts and scientific reasoning skills, and focus on the specific conceptual and reasoning difficulties that students tend to encounter in introductory physics courses.

One of the topics covered in the tutorials is dynamics of rigid bodies, which deals with the motion and forces acting on objects that do not deform or change shape. In this topic, students learn how to apply Newton's laws of motion, torque, angular momentum, and energy conservation to analyze the rotational motion of rigid bodies such as wheels, pulleys, disks, and rods.

The homework for this topic consists of several exercises that require students to apply the concepts and skills learned in the tutorials to new situations. For example, one exercise asks students to compare the rotational kinetic energy of two disks with different masses and radii that are spinning at the same angular speed. Another exercise asks students to determine the net torque on a rod that is suspended by two strings and has a mass attached to one end. The exercises are designed to help students deepen their understanding of dynamics of rigid bodies and prepare them for more advanced problems in physics.

The homework package for Tutorials in Introductory Physics includes a homework manual and a CD-ROM with solutions and hints. The homework manual contains all the exercises for each topic, along with instructions and tips for solving them. The CD-ROM provides detailed solutions and explanations for each exercise, as well as hints and feedback for common errors and misconceptions. The homework package is a valuable resource for students who want to practice and improve their physics skills.

To illustrate how the tutorials and homework help students learn dynamics of rigid bodies, let us look at some examples of problems that students may encounter in this topic.

Example 1: Rotational kinetic energy of two disks

Two disks have different masses and radii, but are spinning at the same angular speed. Which disk has more rotational kinetic energy

The tutorial on rotational motion introduces the concept of rotational kinetic energy, which is given by the formula:

where is the moment of inertia of the rigid body and is its angular speed. The tutorial also explains how to calculate the moment of inertia for different shapes and distributions of mass, such as a disk, a ring, or a rod.

The homework exercise for this problem asks students to apply the formula for rotational kinetic energy to two disks with different masses and radii, but the same angular speed. The students need to compare the moments of inertia of the two disks, which depend on both mass and radius, and use them to determine which disk has more rotational kinetic energy. The solution is that the disk with larger mass and radius has more rotational kinetic energy.

Example 2: Net torque on a rod

A rod of length and mass is suspended by two strings attached to its ends. A mass is attached to the rod at a distance from one end. What is the net torque on the rod about its center

The tutorial on dynamics of rigid bodies introduces the concept of torque, which is a measure of how much a force causes a rigid body to rotate. The tutorial also explains how to calculate the torque due to a force applied at a point on a rigid body, using the formula:

where is the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the point where the force is applied, is the magnitude of the force, and is the angle between the force and the line joining the axis of rotation and the point where the force is applied. The tutorial also explains how to find the net torque on a rigid body by adding up the torques due to all the forces acting on it.

The homework exercise for this problem asks students to apply the formula for torque to each of the forces acting on the rod: the tension in each string and the weight of the rod and the mass. The students need to choose an axis of rotation (in this case, the center of the rod) and find the perpendicular distance and angle for each force. Then they need to add up all the torques with proper signs (positive for counterclockwise rotation and negative for clockwise rotation) to find the net torque. The solution is that there is no net torque on the rod about its center, because all

the torques cancel out. aa16f39245