Two spheres of equal masses, one of which is a thin spherical shell and the other solid sphere, have the…

Two spheres of equal masses, one of which is a thin spherical shell and the other solid sphere, have the same moment of inertia about their respective diameters. The ratio of their radii is
  1. $3: 5$
  2. $\sqrt{3}: \sqrt{5}$
  3. $\sqrt{3}: \sqrt{7}$
  4. $5: 7$

Solution

Let the radii of the thin spherical shell and the solid sphere be $R_1$ and $R_2$, respectively. Then, the moment of inertia of the shell about its diameter is given by, $\mathrm{I}_{\text {shell }}=\frac{2}{3} \mathrm{MR}_1^2$...(i) And the moment of inertia of the solid sphere is given by, $\mathrm{I}_{\text {sphere }}=\frac{2}{5} \mathrm{MR}_2^2$...(ii) Given that, the masses and moment of inertia for both the bodies are equal, then from equations (i) and (ii), $\begin{array}{ll} & \frac{2}{3} M R_1^2=\frac{2}{5} \mathrm{MR}_2^2 \\ \therefore \quad & \frac{\mathrm{R}_1^2}{\mathrm{R}_2^2}=\frac{3}{5} \\ \therefore \quad & \mathrm{R}_1: \mathrm{R}_2=\sqrt{3}: \sqrt{5} \end{array}$ .

Asked in: MHT CET 2024 (16 May Shift 1)

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