OCR MEI M4 2015 June — Question 4

Exam BoardOCR MEI
ModuleM4 (Mechanics 4)
Year2015
SessionJune
TopicMoments of inertia

4 A solid cylinder of radius \(a \mathrm {~m}\) and length \(3 a \mathrm {~m}\) has density \(\rho \mathrm { kg } \mathrm { m } ^ { - 3 }\) given by \(\rho = k \left( 2 + \frac { x } { a } \right)\) where \(x \mathrm {~m}\) is the distance from one end and \(k\) is a positive constant. The mass of the cylinder is \(M \mathrm {~kg}\) where \(M = \frac { 21 } { 2 } \pi a ^ { 3 } k\). Let A and B denote the circular faces of the cylinder where \(x = 0\) and \(x = 3 a\), respectively.
  1. Show by integration that the moment of inertia, \(I _ { \mathrm { A } } \mathrm { kg } \mathrm { m } ^ { 2 }\), of the cylinder about a diameter of the face A is given by \(I _ { \mathrm { A } } = \frac { 109 } { 28 } M a ^ { 2 }\).
  2. Show that the centre of mass of the cylinder is \(\frac { 12 } { 7 } a \mathrm {~m}\) from A .
  3. Using the parallel axes theorem, or otherwise, show that the moment of inertia, \(I _ { \mathrm { B } } \mathrm { kg } \mathrm { m } ^ { 2 }\), of the cylinder about a diameter of the face B is given by \(I _ { \mathrm { B } } = \frac { 73 } { 28 } M a ^ { 2 }\). You are now given that \(M = 4\) and \(a = 0.7\). The cylinder is at rest and can rotate freely about a horizontal axis which is a diameter of the face B as shown in Fig. 4. It is struck at the bottom of the curved surface by a small object of mass 0.2 kg which is travelling horizontally at speed \(20 \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 1 }\) in the vertical plane which is both perpendicular to the axis of rotation and contains the axis of symmetry of the cylinder. The object sticks to the cylinder at the point of impact. \begin{figure}[h]
    \includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{8ea28e6f-528c-4e3c-9562-6c964043747e-4_606_435_1087_817} \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Fig. 4}
    \end{figure}
  4. Find the initial angular speed of the combined object after the collision. \section*{END OF QUESTION PAPER}