A baseball pitcher loosens up his pitching arm. He tosses a 0.20-kg ball using only the rotation of his forearm, 0.32 m in length, to accelerate the ball. What is the moment of inertia of the ball alone as it moves in a circular arc with a radius of 0.32 m?
To determine the moment of inertia of the ball, we can use the formula:
I = m * r^2
Where:
I is the moment of inertia
m is the mass of the object (ball)
r is the radius of the circular path
Given:
m = 0.20 kg
r = 0.32 m
Plugging in the values, we get:
I = 0.20 kg * (0.32 m)^2
I = 0.20 kg * 0.1024 m^2
I = 0.02048 kg * m^2
Therefore, the moment of inertia of the ball alone is 0.02048 kg * m^2.