Topic-wise Practice Questions — Rotation

Prerequisites (Kinematics, NLM, COM, Rotation)

Distribution: Kinematics 5 | NLM 5 | Centre of Mass 5 | Rotation of Rigid Body 10

Kinematics (Rotation basics) — 5 Questions

Q1 (Mains). A wheel starts from rest and has constant angular acceleration of 3 rad/s². Find the
angular velocity and angle turned after 4 s.
Solution:
ω = ω■ + αt = 0 + 3×4 = 12 rad/s.
θ = ω■ t + ½ α t² = 0 + 0.5×3×16 = 24 rad.

Q2 (Mains). A point on a rotating disc at radius 0.2 m has angular speed 10 rad/s. Find its linear
speed and centripetal acceleration.
Solution:
v = rω = 0.2×10 = 2 m/s.
ac = v²/r = 4/0.2 = 20 m/s².

Q3 (Mains). A rotating rod has angular displacement θ(t) = 5t² (θ in rad, t in s). Find ω and α as
functions of time and their values at t=2 s.
Solution:
ω = dθ/dt = 10t → at t=2, ω = 20 rad/s.
α = dω/dt = 10 rad/s² → constant.

Q4 (Advanced). A disc rotates with angular speed decreasing from 40 rad/s to 10 rad/s in 6 s
uniformly. Find angular deceleration and angle turned.
Solution:
α = (ω - ω■)/t = (10 - 40)/6 = -30/6 = -5 rad/s².
θ = (ω■+ω)/2 · t = (40+10)/2 ×6 = 25×6 = 150 rad.

Q5 (Advanced). A particle moves in circular path r=0.5 m with angular acceleration α = 4t

(rad/s²). If ω(0)=0, find ω(t) and tangential acceleration at t=3 s.
Solution:
ω = ∫α dt = ∫4t dt = 2t² + C. With ω(0)=0 → C=0 → ω=2t² rad/s.
At t=3: ω=2×9=18 rad/s.
Tangential acceleration at t: a_t = rα = 0.5×4t = 2t. At t=3: a_t = 6 m/s².
Newton’s Laws (Torque & Circular motion) — 5 Questions

Q6 (Mains). A force 8 N acts tangentially at radius 0.25 m on a wheel. Find torque and angular
acceleration if I = 0.5 kg·m².
Solution:
τ = rF = 0.25×8 = 2 Nm.
α = τ/I = 2/0.5 = 4 rad/s².

Q7 (Mains). A mass m=0.5 kg is attached to string wound on a pulley radius 0.1 m, pulley I =
0.02 kg·m². If released, find linear acceleration of mass (no slip).
Solution outline:
Let tension = T, linear accel = a, angular accel α = a/r.
For mass: mg - T = m a. For pulley: τ = Tr = Iα = I (a/r) ⇒ T r = I a/r ⇒ T = I a/r².
Combine: mg - I a/r² = m a ⇒ a(m + I/r²) = mg ⇒ a = mg / (m + I/r²).
Plug numbers: I/r² = 0.02/(0.01)=2. So a = (0.5×9.8)/(0.5+2) = 4.9/2.5 = 1.96 m/s².

Q8 (Advanced). A uniform ring (mass 2 kg, radius 0.4 m) has torque τ = 1.6 Nm applied. Find
angular acceleration (I for ring = m r²).
Solution:
I = m r² = 2×0.16 = 0.32 kg·m².
α = τ/I = 1.6/0.32 = 5 rad/s².

Q9 (Advanced). A particle of mass 1 kg moves with speed such that centripetal acceleration is 9
m/s² at radius 0.5 m. Find speed and angular speed.
Solution:
ac = v²/r = 9 ⇒ v² = 9×0.5 = 4.5 ⇒ v = √4.5 = 2.1213 m/s approx.
ω = v/r = 2.1213/0.5 = 4.2426 rad/s.

Q10 (Advanced). A disc of I=0.2 kg·m² initially at rest has torque τ(t)=4t (Nm). Find ω(t).
Solution:
τ = I α ⇒ α = τ/I = (4t)/0.2 = 20 t rad/s².
ω = ∫ α dt = ∫20 t dt = 10 t² + C. With ω(0)=0 ⇒ C=0 ⇒ ω=10 t² rad/s.
Centre of Mass — 5 Questions

Q11 (Mains). Two particles 2 kg and 3 kg are at x=0 m and x=2 m respectively. Find COM.
Solution:
x_COM = (Σ m_i x_i)/M = (2×0 + 3×2)/(2+3) = 6/5 = 1.2 m.

Q12 (Mains). A system of three particles (1 kg at x=0, 1 kg at x=1 m, 2 kg at x=3 m). Find COM.
Solution:
M = 4 kg. x_COM = (0+1+6)/4 = 7/4 = 1.75 m.

Q13 (Mains). External net force on system is 10 N. Total mass 5 kg. Find acceleration of COM.
Solution:
a_COM = Fext / M = 10/5 = 2 m/s².

Q14 (Advanced). A rod length L has linear mass density λ. Find COM position from one end.
Solution outline:
For uniform rod, COM at L/2. (Integration: x_COM = (∫ x λ dx)/M = (λ x²/2)/ (λ L) = L/2).

Q15 (Advanced). Two masses 1 kg and 1 kg are at (0,0) and (0,2). A third mass 2 kg at (2,1).
Find COM coordinates.
Solution:
M=4. x_COM = (0+0+4)/4 = 1 m. y_COM = (0+2+2)/4 = 1 m. So (1,1).
Rotation of Rigid Body — 10 Questions

Q16 (Mains). A solid disc (mass 1 kg, radius 0.3 m, I = ½ m r²) rolls without slipping at linear
speed 2 m/s. Find its total kinetic energy.
Solution:
I = 0.5×1×0.09 = 0.045 kg·m². ω = v/r = 2/0.3 = 6.6667 rad/s.
Rotational KE = ½ I ω² = 0.5×0.045×(6.6667)² = 0.0225×44.4444 = 1.0 J approx.
Translational KE = ½ m v² = 0.5×1×4 = 2 J.
Total = 3 J (approx).

Q17 (Mains). A flywheel I=0.4 kg·m² spinning at 100 rad/s is brought to rest by constant torque in
20 s. Find torque and angular deceleration.
Solution:
α = (0 - 100)/20 = -5 rad/s². τ = I α = 0.4×(-5) = -2 Nm. Magnitude 2 Nm.

Q18 (Mains). Angular momentum of a rotating body is 10 kg·m²/s. If I = 2 kg·m², find ω.

Solution:
L = I ω ⇒ ω = L/I = 10/2 = 5 rad/s.

Q19 (Advanced). A cylinder of mass 2 kg and radius 0.2 m rolls down incline without slipping
from height 1 m. Find linear speed at bottom (use energy).
Solution outline:
Total Mgh = translational KE + rotational KE = ½ M v² + ½ I ω². For solid cylinder I = ½ M r², ω = v/r.
So M g h = ½ M v² + ½ (½ M r²) (v²/r²) = ½ M v² + ¼ M v² = ¾ M v² ⇒ v = √( (4/3) g h ).
Plug g=9.8, h=1: v = √(4/3 ×9.8) = √(13.0667) = 3.615 m/s approx.

Q20 (Advanced). A rod of length L pivoted at one end (mass m, I = 1/3 m L²) is released from
horizontal. Find angular speed when vertical (energy method).
Solution outline:
Loss in potential = gain in rotational KE.
Initial PE for CM: m g (L/2). ½ I ω² = m g L/2 ⇒ ω = √( (3 g)/L ).

Q21 (Advanced). Two discs I1=0.1 and I2=0.2 kg·m² rotate oppositely with ω1=30 and ω2=-10
rad/s. They are brought into contact and stick (no external torque). Find final ω.
Solution:
Conserve angular momentum: I1 ω1 + I2 ω2 = (I1+I2) ωf.
ωf = (0.1×30 + 0.2×(-10))/(0.3) = (3 - 2)/0.3 = 1/0.3 = 3.3333 rad/s.

Q22 (Mains). A wheel of radius 0.5 m has rolling without slipping; if its center moves at 4 m/s,
find angular speed and distance covered in one revolution.
Solution:
ω = v/r = 4/0.5 = 8 rad/s. Distance in one revolution = circumference = 2πr = π m ≈ 3.1416 m.

Q23 (Mains). A torque 5 Nm acts for 2 s on body with I=0.5 kg·m² starting from rest. Find energy
added to rotation.
Solution:
α = τ/I = 5/0.5 = 10 rad/s². ω = α t = 10×2 = 20 rad/s.
Rotational KE = ½ I ω² = 0.5×0.5×400 = 100 J.

Q24 (Advanced). A sphere (I = 2/5 m r²) of mass 0.5 kg and radius 0.1 m rolls without slipping
with v = 2 m/s. Find rotational and translational KE and fraction of total in rotation.
Solution:
I = 0.4×0.5×0.01 = 0.002 kg·m²? (Better compute: I = (2/5)m r² = 0.4×0.5×0.01 = 0.002 kg·m².)
ω = v/r = 2/0.1 = 20 rad/s.
Rot KE = ½ I ω² = 0.5×0.002×400 = 0.001×400 = 0.4 J.
Trans KE = ½ m v² = 0.5×0.5×4 = 0.5×2 = 1.0 J?
Check: ½ m v² = 0.5 * 0.5 * 4 = 1.0 J. Total = 1.4 J. Fraction rotational = 0.4/1.4 ≈ 0.2857 (≈28.6%).

Q25 (Advanced). A rigid body has moment of inertia 0.6 kg·m² and is under torque τ=3 Nm at
t=0. If torque constant, find time to reach angular speed 15 rad/s from rest.
Solution:
α = τ/I = 3/0.6 = 5 rad/s². ω = α t ⇒ t = ω/α = 15/5 = 3 s.