Question

A playground merry-go-round has a mass of 120 kg and a radius of 1.80 m and it is rotating with an angular velocity of 0.400 rev/s. What is its angular velocity (in rev/s) after a 22.0 kg child gets onto it by grabbing its outer edge

Answer 1

Answer:

The final angular velocity is rev/s is 0.293 rev/s.

Explanation:

Given;

mass of the merry-go-round, m₁ = 120 kg

radius of the merry-go-round, r = 1.8 m

initial angular velocity, ω = 0.4 rev/s

mass of the child, m₂ = 22 kg

Apply the principle of conservation angular momentum to determine the final angular velocity;

$I_i= I_f\\\\\frac{1}{2} m_1r^2 \omega _i = \frac{1}{2} m_1r^2 \omega _f + m_2r^2 \omega _f\\\\ \frac{1}{2} m_1r^2 \omega _i =( \frac{1}{2} m_1r^2 + m_2r^2 )\omega _f\\\\\omega _f = \frac{ \frac{1}{2} m_1r^2 \omega _i}{\frac{1}{2} m_1r^2 + m_2r^2} \\\\\omega _f = \frac{ \frac{1}{2} m_1 \omega _i}{\frac{1}{2} m_1 + m_2}\\\\\omega _f = \frac{0.5 \ \times \ 120\ kg \ \times \ 0.4\ rev/s}{0.5 \ \times 120\ kg \ \ + \ \ 22 \ kg} \\\\\omega _f = 0.293 \ rev/s$

Therefore, the final angular velocity is rev/s is 0.293 rev/s.