A thin rod of length L and mass M is bent at its midpoint into two halves so that the angle between them is 90 . The moment of inertia of the bent rod about an axis passing through the bending point and perpendicular to the plane defined by the two halves of the rod is
- ML26
- 2 ML224
- ML224
- ML212
Answer
(4) ML212
Solution
Each half has mass M2 and length L2, and the axis passes through one end of each half.
Moment of inertia of a rod about a perpendicular axis through its end = 13m 2
Ihalf = 13 ( M2 ) ( L2 )2 = ML224
The angle between the halves does not matter (each half's mass stays at the same distances from the axis).
I = 2 ML224 = ML212
Answer: (4)