Suppose the earth's polar ice caps melted, sending water towards the equator and increasing the moment of inertia of the earth to 1.1 times its present value. The angular velocity of the earth will be
A) 0.82 times its present value
B) unchanged
C) 0.909 times its present value
D) 1.1 times its present value.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conservation of angular momentum states that the initial angular momentum (Iω) must equal the final angular momentum (I'ω'). If the moment of inertia increases to 1.1 times its original value, the angular velocity must decrease to maintain the same angular momentum. Thus, ω' = ω / 1.1 = 0.909ω.

Suppose the Earth's Polar Ice Caps Melted, Sending Water Towards