Two solid spheres ( $A$ and $B$ ) are made of metals of different densities $\rho_A$ and $\rho_B$…

Two solid spheres ( $A$ and $B$ ) are made of metals of different densities $\rho_A$ and $\rho_B$ respectively. If their masses are equal, the ratio of their moments of inertia $\left(I_B / I_A\right)$ about their respective diameter is
  1. $\left(\frac{\rho_B}{\rho_A}\right)^{2 / 3}$
  2. $\left(\frac{\rho_A}{\rho_B}\right)^{2 / 3}$
  3. $\frac{\rho_A}{\rho_B}$
  4. $\frac{\rho_B}{\rho_A}$

Solution

As two solid spheres are equal in masses, so $m_A=m_B$ $\begin{aligned} \Rightarrow & \frac{4}{3} \pi R_A^3 \rho_A & =\frac{4}{3} \pi R_B^3 \rho_B \\ \Rightarrow & \frac{R_A}{R_B} & =\left(\frac{\rho_B}{\rho_A}\right)^{1 / 3}\end{aligned}$ The moment of inertia of sphere about diameter $I=\frac{2}{5} m R^2$ $\begin{array}{ll}\Rightarrow \quad & \frac{I_A}{I_B}=\left(\frac{R_A}{R_B}\right)^2 \quad\left(\text { as } m_A=m_B\right) \\ \Rightarrow \quad & \frac{I_A}{I_B}=\left(\frac{\rho_B}{\rho_A}\right)^{2 / 3}\end{array}$

Asked in: AP EAMCET 2007

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