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Q.State theorem of perpendicular axes on moment of inertia. Derive an expression to find the moment of inertia of a circular disc about one of its diameters with the help of a neat diagram.

Kerala DhseKerala DHSE Plus One Board 2020Subjective· 4mImportance★★★★★
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Figure — A thin circular disc of radius R lying flat in the plane of the page, centre O; a z-axis through O p
Figure — A thin circular disc of radius R lying flat in the plane of the page, centre O; a z-axis through O p

The theorem of perpendicular axes states that for a flat (planar) lamina, the moment of inertia about an axis perpendicular to its plane equals the sum of the moments of inertia about two mutually perpendicular axes lying in the plane, all three axes meeting at one point: Iz=Ix+IyI_z = I_x + I_y. Applying this to a circular disc — whose moment of inertia about the central axis perpendicular to its plane is Iz=MR22I_z = \dfrac{MR^2}{2} — and using the symmetry of the disc about any diameter (Ix=IyI_x = I_y) gives the moment of inertia about a diameter as MR24\dfrac{MR^2}{4}.

Statement of the theorem of perpendicular axes

The moment of inertia of a planar lamina about an axis perpendicular to its plane (say the zz-axis) is equal to the sum of its moments of inertia about any two mutually perpendicular axes (xx and yy) lying in the plane of the lamina and intersecting each other at the point where the perpendicular axis passes through the lamina.

Iz=Ix+IyI_z = I_x + I_y

This theorem holds only for a flat, two-dimensional (planar) body.

Diagram (to draw): A thin circular disc of radius RR, lying flat in the plane of the page, with its centre at OO. Draw the zz-axis through OO, perpendicular to the disc (coming straight out of the page), and two mutually perpendicular diameters through OO, taken as the xx-axis and yy-axis, both lying in the plane of the disc.

Step 1 — Moment of inertia of the disc about the central axis perpendicular to its plane (IzI_z)

Consider a uniform disc of mass MM and radius RR, with surface mass density σ=MπR2\sigma = \dfrac{M}{\pi R^2}.

Divide the disc into thin concentric rings centred at OO. Consider one such ring of radius rr and thickness drdr.

Area of the ring =2πr dr= 2\pi r\,dr, so its mass is dm=σ⋅2πr drdm = \sigma\cdot 2\pi r\,dr.

Every particle of this ring is at the same perpendicular distance rr from the zz-axis, so its contribution to the moment of inertia about the zz-axis is:

dIz=dm⋅r2=2πσ r3 drdI_z = dm\cdot r^2 = 2\pi\sigma\,r^3\,dr

Integrating over the whole disc, from r=0r = 0 to r=Rr = R:

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