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A student of mass m = 50 kg wants to measure the mass of a playground merry-go-r

ID: 1699440 • Letter: A

Question

A student of mass m = 50 kg wants to measure the mass of a playground merry-go-round, which consists of a solid metal disk of radius R = 1.5 m that is mounted in a horizontal position on a low-friction axle. She tries an experiment: She runs with speed v = 6.6 m/s toward the outer rim of the merry-go-round and jumps on to the outer rim, as shown in the figure. The merry-go-round is initially at rest before the student jumps on and rotates at 1.3 rad/s immediately after she jumps on. You may assume that the student's mass is concentrated at a point.

Explanation / Answer

The mass of the student m = 50kg

 

the linear speed of the student v = 6.6m/s

 

the radius of the disk r = 1.5m

 

the angular speed of the platform and student = 1.3 rad/s

 

from law of conservation of angular momentum

 

    I11 = I22

 

   mR^2(v/R) = ( 1/2MR^2)(2)

 

     2m(v/R)/ ^2 = M

 

therefore the mass

 

         M = 2(50)(6.6/1.5) / 1.3^2

 

             = 260.355 kg

 

(b) The time taken to comes to rest t = 39s

 

         from rotational dynamics

 

             f = i + 2t

 

then the angular acceleration

 

        = - i/2 = - (1.3)/2(39)

 

                           = - 0.0167 rad/s^2

 

therefore the torque

 

                      = I = (1/2 MR^2)

 

                               = (0.5)(260.355)(1.5)^2 (0.0167)

 

                              = 4.89 N

 

(c) from rotational dynamics

 

               f^2 = i^2 + 2 

 

therefore  = -i^2 / -2

 

                   = (1.3)^2 /2(0.0167)

 

                   = 50.6 rad or 8.05 rev