A flywheel has a moment of inertia I and is rotating with an angular velocity ω.

A flywheel has a moment of inertia I and is rotating with an angular velocity ω. If a torque τ is applied to it, what is the angular acceleration α?

A flywheel has a moment of inertia I and is rotating with an angular velocity ω. If a torque τ is applied to it, what is the angular acceleration α?

Step 1: Understand that a flywheel is an object that can rotate.
Step 2: Know that 'moment of inertia' (I) is a measure of how difficult it is to change the rotation of the flywheel.
Step 3: Recognize that 'angular velocity' (ω) is how fast the flywheel is spinning.
Step 4: Learn that 'torque' (τ) is a force that causes the flywheel to start spinning faster or slower.
Step 5: Remember Newton's second law for rotation, which states that torque (τ) is equal to moment of inertia (I) times angular acceleration (α).
Step 6: Write the equation: τ = Iα.
Step 7: To find angular acceleration (α), rearrange the equation to solve for α: α = τ/I.
Step 8: Now you can calculate the angular acceleration if you know the torque and moment of inertia.

Moment of Inertia – The resistance of a body to changes in its rotational motion, dependent on mass distribution.
Torque – A measure of the force that can cause an object to rotate about an axis.
Angular Acceleration – The rate of change of angular velocity, indicating how quickly an object is speeding up or slowing down its rotation.
Newton's Second Law for Rotation – The relationship between torque, moment of inertia, and angular acceleration, expressed as τ = Iα.