Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A merry-go-round has a moment of inertia of and turns freely at . A child, running along a radius toward the centre, steps onto its edge, from the axis.
Angular momentum: for a body on a fixed axis, and (size ) for a particle. With no external torque, is conserved: . The kinetic energy need not be.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. , , .
Step 1. (a) , so .
Step 2. (b) Before: . After: . Lost: .
Answer: (a) . (b) About .
Check. This is like a perfectly inelastic collision: the child has to be brought up to speed, and some energy turns to heat.
Watch out. Angular momentum is conserved; kinetic energy is not.
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