Moment of Inertia Wheel

Purpose:

To demonstrate the effects of different distribution of mass about a fixed axis.

Equipment:

Plexiglass inertia wheel, stand, weights, weight holder, timer.

Procedure:

The wheel is equipped with sliding weights that can be moved along the slots by loosening them with a counter-clockwise twist. There are also scratch marks close to and far away from the axis where the wheel is in balance. Place the free weights on a holder and attach this to the string wound around the axis. Allow the weights to turn the wheel and time their descent with the masses on the wheel in both the close and far away positions.

Further data:

• moveable masses weigh approx. 995 gm.
• time for 1 kg. to descend:
  • masses at max. radius is approx. 13 sec.
  • masses at min. radius is approx. 7 sec.
• r of wheel = 32.75 cm.
• M of wheel = 2.61 kg.
• r of hub (wound string) = 2.86 cm.
• r of masses:
  • innermost position = 7.5 cm.
  • outermost position = 29.3 cm.