Mechatronic and Mechanical Engineering

300035 – Kinematics and Kinetics of Machines

(Kinetics Half)

EXPERIMENT 2

USING A TORSIONAL PENDULUM TO DETERMINE

THE MASS MOMENT OF INERTIA OF A DISK.

Aim:
To use a torsional pendulum to measure the mass moment of inertia of a circular
disk.

Theory:
The rotational (or polar) mass moment of inertia about an axis (of rotation) is a
measure of distribution of the rotating mass about that axis. Its dimensions in SI
units are kg m2 and it is usually denoted by I.

Figure 1: A free body diagram of a torsional pendulum displaced from its

equilibrium position.

Written by Dr Jonathan Vincent Kinetics\KKM\lab2 Page 1

 Consider the shaft and disk in figure 1. If the disk is rotated about its axis by an
angle  from its equilibrium position, the shaft applies a restoring torque to the
disk. This torque is given by:

JG
T   
L (1.1)

Where J is the polar moment of inertia of the shaft, given by

J  12 R 4
, (1.2)

and G is the shear modulus of the shaft. R is the radius of the shaft. L is the
length of the shaft. For the steel shaft used, G = 77.2 GPa. The negative sign in
equation 1 indicates that the restoring torque is in the opposite direction to the
displacement.

This torque gives the disk an angular acceleration,

T
 
I (1.3)
so
JG
I   
L (1.4)

This differential equation in (t) has a solution

 (t )  A sin(2 knt ) (1.5)

where

1 JG
kn 
2 LI . (1.6)

Check this result by differentiation and substitution.

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 If we look at a plot of the above sin function;

t
t=0 2knt=2

1
t
We can see that at the end of the first cycle, 2 knt  2 so kn .

By measuring the duration of a cycle, we are able to calculate the value of kn .

kn is called the natural frequency of the system and is measured in cycles/second.

The mass moment of inertia I of the disk can now be calculated.

Procedure:

Measure the dimensions of the shaft (R, L) and the disk (h, r).

Determine the period (T) of oscillation of the pendulum by timing 20, 30, and 40
oscillations.

Calculations:

Calculate the frequency of oscillation (kn) of the disk.

Use equation (1.2) to calculate the value of J of the shaft

Rearrange equation (1.6) to give an expression for I.

Calculate a value for I.

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 Compare this value for I to the theoretical value given by,

I  12 mr 2
(1.7)

(use the density of the steel disk to be 7860 kg/m3). The r is the radius of the disk.

Report

Your report should start by describing, in your own words, the aim behind this
experiment.

Also, describe briefly, in your own words what you did and how you did it.

Draw a diagram of the apparatus used and any other relevant illustrations.

Include tables of all recorded and calculated results.

For one set of data, give a set of sample calculations and estimate the errors in the
measured values.

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