Rigid Body [45 marks]

1. [Maximum mark: 1]
A disc of mass M and radius R is on a horizontal frictionless table. Two
equal and opposite forces, each of magnitude F, act on the disc. The
moment of inertia of the disc about its axis is 1

2
MR
2
.

What is the angular acceleration of the disc?

A. 0

B. MR
F

C. 2F

MR

D. 4F

MR
[1]

2. [Maximum mark: 1]
A cylinder of mass M and radius R rotates at constant angular speed
ω about an axis through its centre. The rotational kinetic energy of the
cylinder is K.
 The moment of inertia of the cylinder is 1

2
MR
2
.

A second cylinder has mass 2M , radius 2R and rotates with angular

speed 2ω.

What is the rotational kinetic energy of the second cylinder?

A. 8K

B. 16K

C. 32K
[1]
D. 64K

3. [Maximum mark: 1]
A flywheel of moment of inertia 0.50 kg m2 rotates anti-clockwise with
an initial angular velocity of 15 rad s−1. A torque is applied to the
flywheel and its angular velocity changes to 25 rad s−1, rotating
clockwise.
 What is the angular impulse delivered to the flywheel?

A. 5.0 N m s
[1]
B. 10 N m s

C. 20 N m s

D. 40 N m s

4. [Maximum mark: 1]
A constant torque acts on a bicycle wheel. The wheel accelerates from
rest to a final angular velocity of 16 rad s−1 in a time of 4.0 s.

What is the angular displacement of the wheel during the

acceleration?

A. 16 rad

B. 32 rad

C. 48 rad

D. 64 rad [1]

5. [Maximum mark: 1]
 Two objects of mass M each are connected by a weightless rod of
length d. A force F is applied to each of the objects, at right angles to
the rod as shown.

What is the torque acting on the system about the midpoint of the rod
and what is the angular acceleration of the system?

Torque Angular acceleration

A. Fd
2F

Md

B. Fd
4F

Md

C. 2F d
2F

Md
[1]
D. 2F d
4F

Md

6. [Maximum mark: 1]
A turntable of mass M and radius R spins freely about the vertical axis
at an initial angular velocity ω. The moment of inertia of the turntable
about the axis of rotation is 1

2
MR
2
. A small body of mass m is
dropped close to the edge of the turntable with a negligible initial
velocity.
 The body comes to rest relative to the turntable. What is the final
angular velocity of the turntable?

[1]
A.
M
ω
M +2m

B.
M
ω
M +m

C.
M
ω
2M +m

D.
2M
ω
M +m

7. [Maximum mark: 1]
An object with a moment of inertia of 12 kg m2 is rotating about its axis
of rotation with an angular speed of 15 rad s−1. A torque is applied to
the object so that its angular speed increases to 50 rad s−1.

What angular impulse acted on the object?

A. 420 kg m s−1

B. 780 kg m s−1

C. 390 kg m s−1

D. 210 kg m s−1 [1]

8. [Maximum mark: 1]
The graph shows the variation of torque with time acting on a rotating
object.

What is the angular impulse acting on the object?

A. The gradient of the line PQ

B. The average gradient of the line PQR

C. The area under the line PQ

D. The area under the line PQR [1]

9. [Maximum mark: 6]
A flywheel of radius R = 0. 15 m and mass M = 1. 8 kg rotates around the

central axis. The moment of inertia of the flywheel is 1

2
MR
2
. A thread is
wrapped around the flywheel and a time-varying force F is applied to the
thread.
 The angular velocity of the flywheel increases from 4.0 rad s−1 to 9.0 rad s−1 in a
time of 0.24 s.
(a) Calculate the angular impulse delivered to the flywheel during
the acceleration. [2]

(b) Determine the average magnitude of F . [2]

(c) State two assumptions of your calculation in part (b). [2]

10. [Maximum mark: 7]

A ring of mass M = 0.32 kg and radius R = 0.25 m is accelerated from rest by a
constant torque of 0.20 N m. The moment of inertia of the ring is MR2.

(a) Calculate:

(a.i) the angular acceleration of the ring; [2]

(a.ii) the angular velocity of the ring after a time of 5.0 s. [1]

(b) A solid disc of the same mass and radius as the ring is
accelerated by the same torque. Compare, without calculation:

(b.i) the angular impulse delivered to the disc and to the ring during
the first 5.0 s. [2]

(b.ii) the final kinetic energy of the disc and the ring. [2]

11. [Maximum mark: 7]

The propellor of an model plane is driven by an electric motor that is mounted
inside the plane. This propellor is modelled as a rod rotating about an axis
through the centre of the rod at right angles to the length of the rod. The
moment of inertia for such a rod is 1

12
ML
2
where M is the mass of the rod
and L is the total length of the rod.
 (a) For the propellor, L = 5. 0 cm and M = 0. 035 kg.

Calculate the moment of inertia of the propellor. [1]

(b) The propellor is at rest when the electric motor is switched on.
The net average torque acting on the propellor due to the
motor and resistive forces is 3. 5 × 10 −2 kg m 2 s −2 . The
final speed of the propellor is 190 revolutions per second.

(b.i) Calculate the angular impulse that acts on the propellor. [2]

(b.ii) Calculate, using your answer to (b)(i), the time taken by the
propellor to attain this rotational speed. [2]

(b.iii) State and explain the effect of the angular impulse on the body
of the aeroplane. [2]

12. [Maximum mark: 7]

The graph shows the variation in torque with time applied to a rotating flywheel.

(a) Calculate the angular impulse applied to the flywheel. [2]

 (b) The angular speed of the flywheel increased by 280 rad s−1
during the application of the angular impulse.

Determine the moment of inertia of the flywheel. [2]

(c) The flywheel was rotating at 150 rev per minute before the
application of the angular impulse. Determine the change in
angular rotational energy of the flywheel during the
application of the flywheel. [3]

13. [Maximum mark: 9]

A net torque acts on a horizontal disk of mass 0.20 kg and radius 0.40 m that is
initially at rest. The disk begins to rotate. The graph shows the variation with time
t of the angular speed ω of the disk.
The moment of inertia of a disk of mass M and radius R about a vertical axis
through its centre is 1

2
MR2.
(a) Show that the angular acceleration of the disk is about 6 rad s−2. [1]

(b) Calculate the torque that acts on the disk while it accelerates. [2]

(c) While the disk is rotating at its final constant angular speed, a
small object of mass 0.10 kg falls on the disk and sticks to the
edge of the disk.
 (c.i) Calculate the new angular speed of the disk. [3]

(c.ii) Determine the fraction of the total energy of the disk that was
lost. [3]

14. [Maximum mark: 1]

The moment of inertia of the rod about the axis is 0.180 kg m2. Show
that the moment of inertia of the rod–particle system is about 0.25 kg
m2. [1]

© International Baccalaureate Organization, 2024