Question 7. 25. Two discs of moments of inertia I1 and I2 about their respective axes (normal to the disc and passing through the centre), and rotating with angular speed w1 and w2 are brought into contact face to face with their axes of rotation coincident, (a) What is the angular speed of the two-disc system? (b) Show that the kinetic energy of the combined system is less than the sum of the initial kinetic energies of the two discs. How do you account for this loss in energy? Take w1 not equal to w2.

(a) 
 Moment of inertia of disc I=I1 Angular speed of disc I=ω1 Angular speed of disc II =I2 Angular momentum of disc II =ω1 Angular momentum of disc I, L1=I1ω1 Angular momentum of disc II, L2=I2ω2 Total initial angular momenum, Li=I1ω1+I2ω2
When the two discs are joined together, their moments of inertia get added up.
Moment of inertia of the system of two discs,  I=I1+I2
Let ω be the angular speed of the system.
Total final angular momentum, LY=(I1+I2)ω
Using the law of conservation of angular momentum, we have:
L1=LiI1ω1+I2ω2=(I1+I2)ωω=I1ω1+I2ω2I1+I2

(b)Kinetic energy of disc I, E1=12I1ω12
Kinetic energy of disc II, E2=12I2ω22
Total initial kinetic energy, Ei=12(I1ω12+I2ω22)
When the discs are joined, their moments of inertia get added up.
Moment of inertia of the system, I=I1+I2
Angular speed of the system = ω
Final kinetic energy Ef:
=12(I1+I2)ω2=12(I1+I2)(I1ω1+I2ω2I1+I2)2=12(I1ω1+I2ω2)2I1+I2
EiEi=12(I1ω12+I2ω22)(I1ω1+I2ω2)22(I1+I2)=12I1ω12+12I2ω2212I12o12(I1+I2)12I22ω22(I1+I2)122I1I2ω1ω2(I1+I2)
=1(I1+I2)[12I12ω12+12I1I2ω12+12I1I2ω22+12I22ω212I12ω1212I22ω22I1I2ω1ω2]=I1I22(I1+I2)[ω12+ω222a1ω2]=I1I2(ω1ω2)22(I1+I2)
 All the qauantities on RHS are positive. EiEf>0Ei>Ef
The loss of KE can be attributed to the frictional force that comes into play when the two discs come in contact with each other.