For a point mass m rotating in a circle of radius r the moment of inertia is equal to . The moment of inertia of other simple geometrical configurations can be found in your physics textbook. Like mass, the moment of inertia is a scalar quantity. Furthermore, the moment of inertia of a combination of several objects can be obtained by adding the moments of inertia of the individual components. When a force causes an object to rotate, we measure the ability of the force to initiate such a rotation by torque.
Angular momentum is conserved if no net torque acts on a system.
Experimental Procedure For each of the following experiments, find the initial total angular momentum, the final total angular momentum, and compute the percent difference. Comment on the conservation of angular momentum. Use the Pasco rotational apparatus alone, without the hanging mass. Rotate the main platter at a constant rate and measure its angular speed. Drop one of the moment of inertia attachments on top of the platter and measure the resulting speed.