Pulling Tablecloth Under Steel Ball, Finding Speed

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem where a tablecloth is pulled from under a steel ball, causing it to roll without slipping. The question asks for the ball's speed when it reaches this state. The answer is determined to be 0 because the only force acting on the ball is friction from the movement of the cloth. It is mentioned that this is an example of conservation of angular momentum and that the angular momentum is always conserved throughout the entire motion.
  • #1
GingerBread27
108
0
Ok so I'm guessing my TA made up this problem on his own so I don't know how to start, considering there are no numbers and lol I just love having numbers to work with. Anyways here goes again lol I tried all weekend to get the solution and it's not working. Got help a week ago from this board but didn't understand the help.

A tablecloth covers a horizontal table and a steel ball lies on top of it. The tablecloth is pulled from under the ball (in a perfectly horizontal fashion), and friction causes the ball to move and roll. What is the ball's speed on the table when it reaches a state of rolling without slipping? Assume that the table is large enough that the ball does not fall off of it.

Help! :cry:

Our TA said the answer is 0 but I don't know at all how he got that.
 
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  • #2
Thats because no force acts on the ball but on the cloth. So th ball is moved only by the act of friction by the movement of the cloth.Since it tell you to calculate the speed of the ball when it reaches a state of rolling without slipping(act of frictions) the answer is that it doesn't have any speed... enough??
 
  • #3
GingerBread:
This is a neat example of conservation of angular momentum.
You should be able to show that angular momentum WITH RESPECT TO A POINT COINCIDENT WITH THE CONTACT POINT OF THE SPHERE is always conserved THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MOTION.
(that is time spent on cloth plus time spent off cloth up to the point of rolling on table)
 
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1. How does the pulling of a tablecloth under a steel ball relate to finding speed?

The pulling of a tablecloth under a steel ball is a classic physics demonstration that is often used to illustrate the concept of inertia. In this experiment, the steel ball represents an object with mass and the tablecloth represents a force that is applied to the object. By measuring the distance the ball travels after the tablecloth is pulled, we can calculate its speed using the equation speed = distance/time.

2. What is the purpose of this experiment?

The purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate the concept of inertia and to practice using the equation for speed. It also allows us to observe the effects of friction and air resistance on the motion of the steel ball.

3. How is the speed of the steel ball affected by the force applied to the tablecloth?

The speed of the steel ball is affected by the force applied to the tablecloth because the force determines the acceleration of the ball. The greater the force, the greater the acceleration and therefore the greater the speed of the ball.

4. Is there a specific type of tablecloth or steel ball that should be used for this experiment?

Ideally, a smooth and flat tablecloth and a round and smooth steel ball should be used for this experiment. This will minimize the effects of friction and air resistance and provide more accurate results.

5. How can this experiment be modified to investigate other concepts in physics?

This experiment can be modified by changing the mass of the steel ball, the length of the tablecloth, or the force applied to the tablecloth. By varying these factors, we can investigate other concepts such as momentum, energy, and the relationship between force and acceleration.

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