Conservation Momentum

Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________
Activity P23: Conservation of Angular Momentum

(Photogate)
Equipment Needed Qty Equipment Needed Qty

Photogate 1 Calipers (SF-8711) 1
Balance (SE-8723) 1 Rotational Accessory (CI-6691) 2
Base and Support Rod (ME-9355) 1
What Do You Think?
What interesting sporting events can be understood using the concept of conservation of angular
momentum?
Take time to answer the ‘What Do You Think?’ question(s) in the Lab Report section.
Background
When a net torque is applied to an object that is free to rotate, there is a change in the angular
momentum (∆L) of the object.

When a nonrotating disk is dropped on a rotating disk, there is no net torque on the system since
the torque on the nonrotating is equal and opposite to the torque on the rotating disk. If there is
no change in angular momentum the angular momentum is conserved:

where Ii and If are the initial and final rotational inertia of the system, with  and f being is
the initial and final rotational speed of the system. The initial rotational inertia is that of a disk
and the final inertia is that of the disk and a ring.
The ring has a moment of inertia
1 2 2
I M(R1  R2 )
2
where M is the mass of the ring, R1 is its inner radius, and R2 the outer radius.
The inertia of a solid disk of uniform density is given by
1
I MR2
2
where M is the mass of the disk and R is its radius.
For You To Do
The goal in this activity is to measure the initial and final angular speed of a system consisting of
a nonrotating ring that is dropped onto a rotating disk and to verify the conservation of the
angular momentum of the system. Use DataStudio to record and display the linear speed before
and after the torquefree collision.
PART I: Computer Setup
P23 ©1999 PASCO scientific p. 161

Physics Labs with Computers, Vol. 1 Student Workbook
P23: Conservation of Angular Momentum 012-07000A
1. Connect the DataStudio interface to the computer, turn
on the interface, and turn on the computer.
2. Connect the photogate phone plug into Digital Channels
1 on the interface.
• The DataStudio file has a Workbook display and a
Graph display. Read the instructions in the workbook.
PART III: Data Recording

• In this part of the activity you will drop the ring onto the disk that is attached to the Rotary
apparatus. Hold the ring so that it falls in the groove of the disk.
1. Place the disk firmly on the rotating system. Give it a spin using
your hand.
2. Start recording data. (Hint: Click ‘Start’ in DataStudio)
3. After about 25 data points have been recorded, drop the ring
onto the spinning one.
4. After another 25 or so data points have been recorded, stop data
recording.
• Run #1 will appear in the Data list.
5. Repeat the data recording procedure a total of three times.
p. 162 ©1999 PASCO scientific P23

Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________
Analyzing the Data
1 Use the Graph display’s builtin analysis tools to determine the linear speed (Vi) just before
the ring was dropped and the linear speed
(Vf) just after it was dropped. Calculate
the initial angular speed () and the
final angular speed (f) using the
equation:
V = r ω where r is the radius of
the disk with spokes shown to you by
your instructor.
Record them in the Lab Report.
• In DataStudio, use the ‘Smart Tool’ to
find the coordinates of the point on the
plot just before the second disk was
dropped on the first disk. Then find the
coordinates of the point just after the
second disk was dropped and the two disks are rotating together. The ‘Ycoordinate’ is the
linear speed.
2. Repeat the data analysis process for each run, selecting the next run from the data list.
Complete the data table by calculating the percent difference between the initial and final
angular momentum of system.

Record your results in the Lab Report section.

Lab Report – Activity P23: Conservation of Angular Momentum
What Do You Think?

What interesting sporting events can be understood using the concept of conservation of angular
momentum?
Data Table
Item Value
Radius of disk with spokes (
r)
Ring, inside radius (R1)
Ring, outside radius (R2)
Mass of ring (M)

Moment of inertia of ring
Mass of Disk (M)
Radius of Disk ( R)
Moment of inertia of disk
Moment of inertia of disk +
ring
Trial i (rad/s) f (rad/s) Initial angular Final angular % Difference

momentum momentum
Run #1
Run #2
Run #3

Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________
Calculations
1 Calculate the values for the initial and final moment of inertia of the system.
2 Calculate the values for the initial and final angular velocity of the system.
3 Calculate the values for the initial and final angular momentum of the system
4 Calculate the percent difference between the two values for the angular momentum.

Questions
1 How do the two values for the angular momentum agree with each other?
2 What are possible reasons for the difference between the two values of them?
3 A man sits on a spinning piano stool with his arms folded. If he extends his arms, what
happens to his angular velocity? Explain.
4 It is said that a cat always lands on its feet. If a cat starts falling feet up, how can it land
on its feet without violating the law of conservation of angular momentum?
5 A merrygoround of radius 2 m and moment of inertia 500 kg.m2 is rotating without
friction at 0.25 rev/s. A child of mass 25 kg sitting at the center crawls out to the rim. Find
the new angular velocity of the merrygoround and the initial and final kinetic energy of
system

Conservation Momentum

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Name ___________ Class Date _

Activity P23: Conservation of Angular Momentum

Equipment Needed Qty Equipment Needed Qty

P23 ©1999 PASCO scientific p. 161

PART III: Data Recording

p. 162 ©1999 PASCO scientific P23

Analyzing the Data

P23 ©1999 PASCO scientific p. 163

Record your results in the Lab Report section.

What Do You Think?

Ring, outside radius (R2)

Mass of ring (M)

Trial i (rad/s) f (rad/s) Initial angular Final angular % Difference

p. 164 ©1999 PASCO scientific P23

P23 ©1999 PASCO scientific p. 165

p. 166 ©1999 PASCO scientific P23

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