A spinning disc with a mass of 2.5kg and a radius of 0.80m is rotating with an angular velocity of 1.5 rad/s. A ball of clay with unknown mass is dropped onto the disk and sticks to the very edge causing the angular velocity of the disk to slow to 1.13 rad/s. What is the mass of the ball of clay

M = 1.90 Kg

Explanation:

Given data: mass = 2.5 Kg

radius R = 0.8 m

angular velocity ω = 1.5 rad/s

Angular momentum L =0.5×Iω^2

Where, I  is the moment of inertia of the spinning disc.

I = 0.5MR^2

I = 0.5×2.5×0.8^2

I = 0.8 Kg/m^2

Then L = 0.5×0.8×1.5^2 = 0.8×2.25 = 0.9 Kg-m^2/sec

Let unknown mass be M

New mass of disc = (2.5+M) Kg, R = 0.8 m

New I = 0.5(2.5+M)(0.8)^2

Since, angular momentum is conserved

Angular momentum before = angular momentum after

0.5×0.5(2.5+M)(0.8)^2×(1.13)^2 = 0.9

Solving for M we get

0.204304(2.5+M)=0.9

M = 1.90 Kg