- #1
cmkluza
- 118
- 1
For a mathematics project I'm trying to figure out the moment of inertia for a propeller. I'm told that it is possible to find the moment of inertia of irregular objects through calculus, so I'm determined to figure it out using calculus.
I plan on using a 3D modelling program (since I don't have actual propellers at the moment) to construct a propeller, or just using a 3D model of a propeller, so I can get exact measurements of it. I can also use density (found on the Internet) and volume to deduce the mass. I figure I can separate a propeller into an idealized, hollow, cylindrical center (easy to calculate) and the blades.
So, where do I start? I've seen some mathematics on Wolfram, but I'm not following it. Wolfram shows a function ρ(r) as the density of the object, but it doesn't show where ρ(r) comes from; how would I write the density of an object as a function of its radius? Others show it more simply as [itex] I = \int r^2dm [/itex]. What should I use, and how should I go about collecting the input data for whatever method I use? Also, I understand where the second function I mention comes from, but if I were to use something like the Wolfram function, could anyone tell me where it comes from, or how it is deduced?
Thanks for any help!
Edit: Missing info/formatting
I plan on using a 3D modelling program (since I don't have actual propellers at the moment) to construct a propeller, or just using a 3D model of a propeller, so I can get exact measurements of it. I can also use density (found on the Internet) and volume to deduce the mass. I figure I can separate a propeller into an idealized, hollow, cylindrical center (easy to calculate) and the blades.
So, where do I start? I've seen some mathematics on Wolfram, but I'm not following it. Wolfram shows a function ρ(r) as the density of the object, but it doesn't show where ρ(r) comes from; how would I write the density of an object as a function of its radius? Others show it more simply as [itex] I = \int r^2dm [/itex]. What should I use, and how should I go about collecting the input data for whatever method I use? Also, I understand where the second function I mention comes from, but if I were to use something like the Wolfram function, could anyone tell me where it comes from, or how it is deduced?
Thanks for any help!
Edit: Missing info/formatting