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Block On Turntable problem: A 200 g, 40.0-cm-diameter solid cylindrical turntabl

ID: 1283922 • Letter: B

Question

Block On Turntable problem:

A 200 g, 40.0-cm-diameter solid cylindrical turntable rotates on frictionless bearings at 60.0 rpm. A 20.0 g block sits at the center of the turntable. The block then slides outward along a frictionless groove in the surface of the turntable and stops when it reaches the edge.

For this problem, you can assume that the turntable can be treated as a solid disk and the block can be treated as a point mass.

What is the turntable's angular speed when the block reaches the outer edge of the turntable?

Explanation / Answer

Solve by conservation of angular momentum

Iw = Iw

The initial I is only of the disk

I is .5mr2 for a disk, so that is the initial I

The final I is the disk plus the block

I = .5mr2 + m'r2

60 rpm converts to 6.28 rad/s, so...

(.5)(.2)(.2)2(6.28) = [.5(.2)(.22) + .02(.2)2](w)

w = 5.24 rad/s

If you need that converted back into rpm, that is 50 rpm