Consider four small balls of equal mass m placed at the corner of a square of side L and connected by bars of negligible mass.Find the moment of inertia of the system for rotation in the following three configurations described below.

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Consider four small balls of equal mass m placed at the corner of a square of side L and connected by bars of negligible mass.Find the moment of inertia of the system for rotation in the following three configurations described below.

### Understanding Rotational Symmetry in Squares

This diagram illustrates three types of rotational symmetry operations applied to a square. The operations demonstrate how you can rotate a square and still obtain a configuration that looks the same as the original.

#### Description of the Diagram:

The square has vertices marked by blue dots and each side marked with the length \( L \). The rotational axis is either highlighted or implied by black lines.

1. **Panel (a): Rotation by 180° about the horizontal axis through the center**
   - In this illustration, the square is rotated by 180° about a horizontal axis that cuts through the square's center.
   - The black horizontal line represents the axis of rotation.
   - After rotation, the vertices of the square are mapped onto themselves, maintaining the symmetrical properties of the square.

2. **Panel (b): Rotation by 180° about the diagonal axis**
   - Here, the square is rotated by 180° about a diagonal axis that goes from one corner of the square to the diagonally opposite corner.
   - The black diagonal line represents this axis.
   - After executing this rotation, the square appears identical to its starting position, demonstrating that the vertices have also been exchanged across the axis with symmetry preserved.

3. **Panel (c): Rotation by 180° about the central vertical axis**
   - This part of the diagram shows a rotation by 180° about a vertical axis running through the center of the square.
   - The implied vertical line through the center depicts the axis of rotation.
   - Post-rotation, the square's appearance remains unchanged, evidencing the symmetry of rotation around the vertical center line.

### Educational Insight:

These illustrations are valuable in understanding the fundamental property of rotational symmetry for squares, where a rotation by 180° around any of these axes (horizontal central axis, diagonal axis, and vertical central axis) results in a square that is congruent to its original configuration. Recognizing these symmetries is essential in areas like geometry, physics, and computer graphics where such transformations are frequently applied.
Transcribed Image Text:### Understanding Rotational Symmetry in Squares This diagram illustrates three types of rotational symmetry operations applied to a square. The operations demonstrate how you can rotate a square and still obtain a configuration that looks the same as the original. #### Description of the Diagram: The square has vertices marked by blue dots and each side marked with the length \( L \). The rotational axis is either highlighted or implied by black lines. 1. **Panel (a): Rotation by 180° about the horizontal axis through the center** - In this illustration, the square is rotated by 180° about a horizontal axis that cuts through the square's center. - The black horizontal line represents the axis of rotation. - After rotation, the vertices of the square are mapped onto themselves, maintaining the symmetrical properties of the square. 2. **Panel (b): Rotation by 180° about the diagonal axis** - Here, the square is rotated by 180° about a diagonal axis that goes from one corner of the square to the diagonally opposite corner. - The black diagonal line represents this axis. - After executing this rotation, the square appears identical to its starting position, demonstrating that the vertices have also been exchanged across the axis with symmetry preserved. 3. **Panel (c): Rotation by 180° about the central vertical axis** - This part of the diagram shows a rotation by 180° about a vertical axis running through the center of the square. - The implied vertical line through the center depicts the axis of rotation. - Post-rotation, the square's appearance remains unchanged, evidencing the symmetry of rotation around the vertical center line. ### Educational Insight: These illustrations are valuable in understanding the fundamental property of rotational symmetry for squares, where a rotation by 180° around any of these axes (horizontal central axis, diagonal axis, and vertical central axis) results in a square that is congruent to its original configuration. Recognizing these symmetries is essential in areas like geometry, physics, and computer graphics where such transformations are frequently applied.
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