Moment of Inertia of a regular hexagonal plate?

In summary, to calculate the moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate with side length a and mass M along an axis passing through its opposite vertices, you can break it down into 4 congruent right triangles and a rectangle. The moment of inertia for each triangle would be m*a^2/8, and for the rectangle it would be 4Ma^2/3. Adding these together would give the total moment of inertia for the hexagonal plate. However, it is important to note that the integral for the x values should run from (a√3)/2 to -(a√3)/2 to get the correct answer.
  • #1
CrimsonFlash
18
0

Homework Statement


How do you calculate the moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate of side a and mass M along an axis passing through its opposite vertices?

Homework Equations


Moment of inertia for a right triangle with an axis running along its base would be I = m h2 /6 where h and m are the height and the mass of the triangle respectively.

The Attempt at a Solution


I tried breaking up the hexagon into 4 congruent right triangles and a rectangle. So there would be 2 triangles at the top, the rectangle in the middle and the two triangles below.
The moment of inertia of the triangle would be = [itex] \frac{m a^2} {8} [/itex] because the height will be = asin60
Mass of this triangular bit = M/12
Density of the hexagon = 2M/(a23√3)
So the rectangular bit in the middle will have moment of inertia equal to this density multiplied by the double integral of x^2 with x running from a√3 to -a√3 and y running from a/2 to -a/2.
This gives moment of inertia for the rectangular bit = 4Ma2/3.
I thought then you finally add all these up to get moment of inertia for the hexagon because integration is a linear operator or whatever. But I get the wrong answer.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
CrimsonFlash said:
This gives moment of inertia for the rectangular bit = 4Ma2/3.
Seems too much. Pls post your working.
 
  • #3
CrimsonFlash said:
So the rectangular bit in the middle will have moment of inertia equal to this density multiplied by the double integral of x^2 with x running from a√3 to -a√3 and y running from a/2 to -a/2.
This gives moment of inertia for the rectangular bit = 4Ma2/3.
I thought then you finally add all these up to get moment of inertia for the hexagon because integration is a linear operator or whatever. But I get the wrong answer.

Silly silly me. The integral for x runs from (a√3)/2 to -(a√3)/2 and this gives the right answer.
 

FAQ: Moment of Inertia of a regular hexagonal plate?

1. What is the formula for calculating the moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate?

The formula for calculating the moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate is:
I = (3√3/2) * m * a^2, where m is the mass of the plate and a is the length of each side.

2. How does the moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate differ from other shapes?

The moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate differs from other shapes because it takes into account the distribution of mass around the central axis. The symmetrical shape of a hexagon allows for a more accurate calculation of the moment of inertia compared to other irregular shapes.

3. Can the moment of inertia of a regular hexagonal plate be negative?

No, the moment of inertia cannot be negative as it is a measure of an object's resistance to change in rotational motion. It is always a positive value.

4. How is the moment of inertia affected by the size of the regular hexagonal plate?

The moment of inertia is directly proportional to the size of the regular hexagonal plate. As the length of the sides increases, the moment of inertia also increases. This is because a larger plate has a greater amount of mass distributed further from the central axis, resulting in a larger moment of inertia.

5. What is the significance of the moment of inertia in relation to rotational motion?

The moment of inertia is an important factor in determining the rotational motion of an object. It affects how easily an object can be rotated and how quickly it can change its rotational speed. A larger moment of inertia means a greater amount of force is needed to change the object's rotational motion.

Similar threads

Back
Top