Rolling ball down a slope, how to find final velocity?

In summary, the problem involves a ball rolling down a rough hill with a coefficient of friction less than tan(theta). The ball has a moment of inertia, mass, and radius that are all constant. The goal is to find the final velocity of the ball at the bottom of the hill. The problem also involves calculating the energy lost to friction, the torque on the ball, and how to relate this to the rotational and translational energy and the change in gravitational potential energy. The solution requires using the conservation of energy and relating the different energies involved.
  • #1
woodie37
14
0

Homework Statement


A ball is rolled down a rough hill with coefficient of [tex]\mu[/tex]<tan[tex]\theta[/tex]. The hill has a height of h. The ball has moment of inertia of I, mass of m, and radius of r, which are all constant. What is the final velocity of the ball at the bottom of the hill?

P.S. I made this question up, so I can't find an answer anywhere except from physics experts =D

Homework Equations


W = [tex]\Delta[/tex]K + [tex]\Delta[/tex]U where W is the work done by friction, K is the kinetic energy and U is potential energy.


The Attempt at a Solution



As the ball rolls down the hill it slips due to the fact that the frictional force is not strong enough. From an FBD, gravitational force acts on its center, and frictional force rotates the ball a little bit but the ball slips at a constant rate of slippage (idk if that's the right word).

As the ball is accelerated down wards by gravity, the frictional force decelerates the ball such that it slows down the gravitational acceleration and slightly rotates the ball...

and I have no idea how to do this...I attempted it and got an answer slightly greater than if the friction is strong enough to prevent slippage, where no energy is lost to friction.

Can someone help me solve this please? lol
 
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  • #2
woodie37 said:

Homework Statement


A ball is rolled down a rough hill with coefficient of [tex]\mu[/tex]<tan[tex]\theta[/tex]. The hill has a height of h. The ball has moment of inertia of I, mass of m, and radius of r, which are all constant. What is the final velocity of the ball at the bottom of the hill?

P.S. I made this question up, so I can't find an answer anywhere except from physics experts =D

Homework Equations


W = [tex]\Delta[/tex]K + [tex]\Delta[/tex]U where W is the work done by friction, K is the kinetic energy and U is potential energy.


The Attempt at a Solution



As the ball rolls down the hill it slips due to the fact that the frictional force is not strong enough. From an FBD, gravitational force acts on its center, and frictional force rotates the ball a little bit but the ball slips at a constant rate of slippage (idk if that's the right word).

As the ball is accelerated down wards by gravity, the frictional force decelerates the ball such that it slows down the gravitational acceleration and slightly rotates the ball...

and I have no idea how to do this...I attempted it and got an answer slightly greater than if the friction is strong enough to prevent slippage, where no energy is lost to friction.

Can someone help me solve this please? lol
What is the energy lost to friction? What is the torque on the ball? How do you relate that torque and the distance traveled to the rotational energy of the ball? How does the lost energy + rotational energy + translational energy relate to the change in gravitational potential energy?

AM
 
  • #3
Andrew Mason said:
What is the energy lost to friction? What is the torque on the ball? How do you relate that torque and the distance traveled to the rotational energy of the ball? How does the lost energy + rotational energy + translational energy relate to the change in gravitational potential energy?

AM

The energy lost due to friction is quite complicated to solve for, because as the ball slides down the hill of length h/sin[tex]\theta[/tex], it friction does NOT act on the ball for that length and instead the force of friction acts on the ball for a distance of h/sin[tex]\theta[/tex] less the distance the ball turns while rolling downhill. The torque is the product of the parrallel force and the radius of the ball less the force of friction that needs to be added to ensure the ball does not slip, which in other words, is the the product of friction and radius of the ball, r, and the torque is constant, as the force of gravity does not change, and the coefficient of friction does not either. I know how to relate the different energies by the conservation of energy, but that can only be done when the other things have been related, which are stated above, which I don't know how to do...help please!
 

1. What is the formula for finding the final velocity of a rolling ball down a slope?

The formula for finding final velocity is V = V0 + at, where V is the final velocity, V0 is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration of the ball, and t is the time it takes for the ball to reach the bottom of the slope.

2. How do you calculate the acceleration of a rolling ball down a slope?

The acceleration of a rolling ball down a slope can be calculated using the formula a = g sinθ, where g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2 on Earth) and θ is the angle of the slope.

3. Can the final velocity of a rolling ball down a slope be greater than the initial velocity?

Yes, the final velocity of a rolling ball down a slope can be greater than the initial velocity if the slope is steep enough. This is because the ball will gain speed as it rolls down the slope due to the acceleration of gravity.

4. How does the mass of the ball affect the final velocity?

The mass of the ball does not affect the final velocity in this scenario. As long as the slope and initial velocity are the same, the final velocity will also be the same regardless of the mass of the ball. This is because the acceleration due to gravity is independent of an object's mass.

5. What factors can affect the accuracy of the final velocity calculation?

The accuracy of the final velocity calculation can be affected by factors such as air resistance and friction on the slope. These external forces can slow down the ball and therefore affect its final velocity. Additionally, human error in measuring the initial velocity and time can also affect the accuracy of the calculation.

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