Question

Does increasing the number of blades on a propeller increase or decrease its moment of inertia, and why?

a) Increase, because more mass is distributed farther from the axis.
b) Decrease, because more blades reduce overall mass.
c) Stay the same, as the number of blades is not a factor.
d) It depends on the shape of the blades.

Answer 1

Increasing the number of blades on a propeller increases its moment of inertia, making it more difficult to change its rotational speed.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is a) Increase, because more mass is distributed farther from the axis. When the number of blades on a propeller increases, more mass is distributed farther from the axis of rotation. This increases the moment of inertia, which is a measure of rotational inertia. As a result, it becomes more difficult to change the propeller's angular velocity or rotational speed.