Suppose partial melting of the polar ice caps increases the moment of inertia of the Earth from 0.331MR^2 to 0.332MR^2.
a.) Would the length of a day (the time required for the earth to complete one revolution about it's axis) increase or decrease? Explain?
b.) Calculate the change in the length of a day in seconds.
If you could explain the answers that would be great!
Thank you so so so much in advance!
a.) Would the length of a day (the time required for the earth to complete one revolution about it's axis) increase or decrease? Explain?
b.) Calculate the change in the length of a day in seconds.
If you could explain the answers that would be great!
Thank you so so so much in advance!
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Conservation of angular momentum (ice skater) I1 omega1 = I2 omega2 Since I goes up, omega must go down. Since omega goes down, time to do one rev goes up, so longer day
Time for one rev = 2 Pi / omega so T2 / T1 = omega1 / omega2 = I2/I1 = .332/.331 = 1.00302 or .302 percent longer. 0.302 percent of 24 hours = 261 seconds. About 4 minutes. Longer than i thought !!
Time for one rev = 2 Pi / omega so T2 / T1 = omega1 / omega2 = I2/I1 = .332/.331 = 1.00302 or .302 percent longer. 0.302 percent of 24 hours = 261 seconds. About 4 minutes. Longer than i thought !!
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a. Length of day will increase...because as moment of inertia increases its angular velocity (omega) decreases and and angular velocity (omega) is inversely proportional to time ....hence as inertia would increase time will increase....
b. From above we came to know inertia is directly proportional to time...
Hence ,
Take I1 = 0.331
I2 = 0.332
T1 =24 HOURS (convert it in seconds)
And find T2 using following equation
I1/I2 = T1/T2
b. From above we came to know inertia is directly proportional to time...
Hence ,
Take I1 = 0.331
I2 = 0.332
T1 =24 HOURS (convert it in seconds)
And find T2 using following equation
I1/I2 = T1/T2