Rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk

In summary: This would all be assuming, of course, that the flywheel is a solid disk of uniform thickness, and that you are rotating the flywheel around its axis of symmetry, and that the axis is perpendicular to the disk. All of these assumptions could be wrong, leading to an incorrect value of the kinetic energy.In summary, the correct formula for calculating the kinetic energy of a flywheel is E = (1/2) m r^2 * w^2, where m is the mass of the flywheel, r is the radius, and w is the angular velocity measured in radians per second. However, there may be other factors to consider such as the shape of the fly
  • #1
gfhfgh
5
0
Hi,
on the net I found some equation, and would like to know if they are correct ones.


http://www.upei.ca/~physics/p261/projects/flywheel1/flywheel1.htm
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/rke.html

Physics:
Stored energy = sum of kinetic energy of individual mass elements that comprise the flywheel
Kinetic Energy = 1/2*I*w2 , where
I = moment of inertia (ability of an obeject to resist changes in its rotational velocity)
w = rotational velocity (rpm)
I = k*M*R2 (M=mass; R=radius); k = inertial constant (depends on shape)
Inertial constants for different shapes:
Wheel loaded at rim (bike tire); k = 1
solid disk of uniform thickness; k = 1/2
solid sphere; k = 2/5
spherical shell; k = 2/3
thin rectangular rod; k = 1/2


But I searched for that "I" (inertia momentum) on the Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia and there is not like it say above "I=k*m*w2"
 
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  • #2
gfhfgh said:
Hi,
on the net I found some equation, and would like to know if they are correct ones.


http://www.upei.ca/~physics/p261/projects/flywheel1/flywheel1.htm
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/rke.html

Physics:
Stored energy = sum of kinetic energy of individual mass elements that comprise the flywheel
Kinetic Energy = 1/2*I*w2 , where
I = moment of inertia (ability of an obeject to resist changes in its rotational velocity)
w = rotational velocity (rpm)
I = k*M*R2 (M=mass; R=radius); k = inertial constant (depends on shape)
Inertial constants for different shapes:
Wheel loaded at rim (bike tire); k = 1
solid disk of uniform thickness; k = 1/2
solid sphere; k = 2/5
spherical shell; k = 2/3
thin rectangular rod; k = 1/2


But I searched for that "I" (inertia momentum) on the Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia and there is not like it say above "I=k*m*w2"

Nowhere "above" does it say "I=k*m*w2."

It says I=k*m*R2, apparently meaning
[tex]
I=kmR^2
[/tex]
where m is the total mass of the object and R its size, with k being different for differently shaped objects.

There is a more general definition of moment of inertia which you may have found on Wikipedia in terms of a "Moment of inertia tensor." The values of I listed above are the diagonal entries of that tensor.
 
  • #3
I can't find the formula you refer to on Wikipedia, but the formulae you quote from the other websites are indeed correct.
 
  • #4
I would be cautious about saying that, for example

Kinetic Energy = 1/2*I*w2

was correct, as a reader (or perhaps even the original poster might) confuse w2 with w*2 as opposed to w^2, i.e. w*w.

Presumably this was a cut and paste job, and the '^' didn't cut and paste. Still, it's a potential source of confusion.

In any event, one can conclude, correctly, that for an object of fixed shape rotating around a fixed axis, rotational kinetic energy is proportional to w^2, where w is the angular frequency, which seems to be the point of the question if I'm understanding it correctly.
 
  • #5
olgranpappy said:
Nowhere "above" does it say "I=k*m*w2."

yes, my mistake I was in a hurry!

so if I am calculating the flywheel kinetic energy this formula will be correct;
Wk=m*r^2*rpm^2/4
 
  • #6
gfhfgh said:
yes, my mistake I was in a hurry!

so if I am calculating the flywheel kinetic energy this formula will be correct;
Wk=m*r^2*rpm^2/4

The kinetic energy in the flywheel will be

E = (some constant) * (rpm)^2

But it will take more work to get "some constant" right.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/tdisc.html

says that

E = (1/2) m r^2 * w^2 when w is measured in radians per second.

If you are using MKS (standard metric) units, E will be in joules, m will be the mass of the flywheel in kg, r will be the radius of the flywheel in meters, and w will be the angular velocity in radians/second.

To convert rpm to radians per second, you'd take

(revolutions / minute) x (2 pi radians / revolution) x (1 minute) / (60 seconds)

i.e w (rad/sec) = (rpm)*(2*pi) / (60)
 

Related to Rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk

What is rotational kinetic energy?

Rotational kinetic energy is the energy that an object has due to its rotational motion. It is a form of kinetic energy that is associated with the rotation of an object around an axis.

How is rotational kinetic energy calculated for a solid disk?

The rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk can be calculated using the formula KE = 1/2 * I * ω^2, where I is the moment of inertia and ω is the angular velocity. For a solid disk, the moment of inertia is equal to 1/2 * m * r^2, where m is the mass of the disk and r is the radius.

What factors affect the rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk?

The rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk is affected by its mass, radius, and angular velocity. The greater the mass and radius of the disk, the greater its rotational kinetic energy. Similarly, the faster the disk rotates, the greater its rotational kinetic energy will be.

Can the rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk be negative?

No, the rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk cannot be negative. It is always a positive value, as it represents the energy associated with the rotational motion of the disk.

What are some real-life examples of rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk?

Some examples of rotational kinetic energy of a solid disk include a spinning top, a spinning wheel on a bicycle, and a rotating turbine in a hydroelectric power plant. Any object that rotates around an axis has rotational kinetic energy.

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