Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Moment of Inertia
Moment of inertia is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotation. It depends on the mass distribution relative to the axis of rotation. For a rod rotating about an axis at one end, the moment of inertia is calculated using the formula I = (1/3) * m * L^2, where m is the mass and L is the length of the rod.
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Angular Velocity
Angular velocity is the rate of change of angular position of a rotating object, typically measured in radians per second. It describes how fast the object is rotating around a fixed axis. In this scenario, the rod's angular velocity is given as 0.400 rad/s, which helps determine the rotational dynamics of the system.
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Conservation of Angular Momentum
Conservation of angular momentum states that if no external torque acts on a system, its angular momentum remains constant. As the bug moves along the rod, the system's angular momentum is conserved, allowing us to relate the initial and final states to find unknown quantities like the mass of the rod.
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