Determining New Angular Velocity

In summary, a star with mass 2.4x1030 kg and diameter 1.7x109 m rotates once every 34 Earth days. It eventually becomes a white dwarf with a diameter of 1.9x108 m and a resulting angular velocity of 1.85x107 rad/s. Using the equation for moment of inertia, I=(2/5)MR2, we can determine the initial star's moment of inertia to be 6.94x1047 kgxm2. Since there are no external torques, angular momentum is conserved and the equation h=Iω can be used to find the angular velocity of the white dwarf.
  • #1
crushedcorn
7
0

Homework Statement


A star with mass 2.4x1030 kg and diameter 1.7x109 m rotates once every 34 Earth days. It eventually dies and becomes a white dwarf, shedding about half of its mass and contracting to a diameter of 1.9x108 m. If we approximate the star as a perfect sphere, what is its resulting angular velocity?

Initial star r = 8.5x108 m
Initial star m = 2.4x1030 kg
Initial star ω = 1 rev/34 days = 1.85x107 rad/s
White dwarf r = 9.5x107 m

Homework Equations


I=(2/5)MR2

The Attempt at a Solution


I'm getting really stuck on this one. I can determine I for the initial star (I=(2/5)(2.4x1030 kg)(8.5x108)2 m=6.94x1047 kgxm2, but from there I'm not sure where to go. I'm not even sure if that's relevant. I'm not looking for a handout here, but any guidance would be appreciated!
 
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  • #2
Why do you need to know I?
 
  • #3
There are no external torques in this problem, therefore angular momentum is conserved.

h = Iω
 
  • #4
Yes, so can you write an equation that shows this?
 
  • #5
sun18 said:
There are no external torques in this problem, therefore angular momentum is conserved.

h = Iω
Yes, but be careful. What do you think the angular momentum of the shed mass will be at the end?
 

Related to Determining New Angular Velocity

1. How is angular velocity determined?

Angular velocity is determined by calculating the change in angular displacement over time. This can be done by measuring the angle through which an object rotates and dividing it by the time it takes to complete the rotation.

2. What is the formula for calculating angular velocity?

The formula for angular velocity is ω = Δθ/Δt, where ω represents angular velocity, Δθ represents change in angular displacement, and Δt represents change in time.

3. How is angular velocity measured?

Angular velocity can be measured using specialized equipment such as a tachometer or an accelerometer. These devices measure the rate of rotation of an object and provide a numerical value for angular velocity.

4. What are the units of angular velocity?

The units of angular velocity are radians per second (rad/s) in the SI system and degrees per second (°/s) in the imperial system. Other common units include revolutions per minute (rpm) and revolutions per second (rps).

5. How does angular velocity affect rotational motion?

Angular velocity is directly proportional to the rotational speed of an object. This means that an increase in angular velocity will result in a faster rotation, while a decrease in angular velocity will result in a slower rotation. It also affects the direction of rotation, as a positive angular velocity represents counterclockwise rotation and a negative angular velocity represents clockwise rotation.

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