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Principal MI and axes of trapezoidal shaded area

Short answer

Centroid at (8.375, 6.562) cm; I_x=4289, I_y=6526, I_xy=-1716 cm⁴. Principal moments: I_max=7456 cm⁴, I_min=3360 cm⁴; principal axes inclined at 61.55° (I_max) and -28.45° (I_min) from the +x axis.

Calculate principal moment of inertia and the orientation of the principle axes for the shaded area shown in figure below. [Figure: trapezoid with vertical left side 15 cm, bottom width 10 cm + 12 cm; the top edge is 10 cm wide and the right edge slopes down to the bottom right corner.]

Dimensions and assumptions (read from the figure):

  • Dimensions in cm. Trapezoid (0,0), (22,0), (10,15), (0,15): vertical left side 15, bottom 10 + 12 = 22, top 10.

Properties of the parts (x, y measured from the reference origin; IGI_G about the part's own centroid; area in cm2cm^2, I in cm4cm^4)

PartSignAxˉ\bar xyˉ\bar yIx,GI_{x,G}Iy,GI_{y,G}Ixy,GI_{xy,G}
Trapezoid+240.0240.08.3756.5624289428965266526−1716-1716

Centroid

A=∑Ai=240.0 cm2Xˉ=∑AixiA=2010240.0=8.375 cmYˉ=∑AiyiA=1575240.0=6.562 cm\begin{aligned} A &= \sum A_i = 240.0\ \text{cm}^2 \\ \bar X &= \frac{\sum A_i x_i}{A} = \frac{2010}{240.0} = 8.375\ \text{cm} \\ \bar Y &= \frac{\sum A_i y_i}{A} = \frac{1575}{240.0} = 6.562\ \text{cm} \end{aligned}

Moments and product of inertia about the centroidal axes

With dx=xi−Xˉd_x = x_i-\bar X, dy=yi−Yˉd_y = y_i-\bar Y and the parallel-axis theorems Ix=Ix,G+Ady2I_x = I_{x,G}+Ad_y^2, Iy=Iy,G+Adx2I_y = I_{y,G}+Ad_x^2, Ixy=Ixy,G+AdxdyI_{xy} = I_{xy,G}+Ad_xd_y:

PartIx,G+Ady2I_{x,G}+A d_y^2Iy,G+Adx2I_{y,G}+A d_x^2Ixy,G+AdxdyI_{xy,G}+A d_x d_y
Trapezoid (+)4289428965266526−1716-1716
Total about centroid4289428965266526−1716-1716

Principal moments of inertia and principal axes

Imax,min=Ix+Iy2±(Ix−Iy2)2+Ixy2=5408±2048Imax=7456 cm4,Imin=3360 cm4\begin{aligned} I_{max,min} &= \frac{I_x+I_y}{2}\pm\sqrt{\left(\frac{I_x-I_y}{2}\right)^2+I_{xy}^2} \\ &= 5408\pm2048 \\ I_{max} &= 7456\ \text{cm}^4,\qquad I_{min} = 3360\ \text{cm}^4 \end{aligned}

Orientation: tan⁡2θp=−2IxyIx−Iy=3431−2237\tan 2\theta_p = \dfrac{-2I_{xy}}{I_x-I_y} = \dfrac{3431}{-2237}, so 2θp=123.10∘2\theta_p = 123.10^\circ (and −56.90∘-56.90^\circ).

  • The axis of ImaxI_{max} makes 61.55° with the +x axis (anticlockwise positive); the axis of IminI_{min} is at -28.45° (perpendicular), both passing through the centroid (8.375, 6.562) measured from the reference origin.

Answer: Imax=7456 cm4I_{max} = 7456\ \text{cm}^4, Imin=3360 cm4I_{min} = 3360\ \text{cm}^4; principal axes through the centroid at 61.55° (for ImaxI_{max}) and -28.45° (for IminI_{min}) from the +x axis.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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