Rolling without slipping taking the contact point as pivot

In summary, the conversation discusses the confusion about a rolling without slipping situation involving a disk with initial velocity and angular velocity. The equations of motion are provided for taking the center of mass and a pivot point on the ground as the basis. However, there is a contradiction between the results obtained from both equations, leading to the realization that the disk is actually slipping, not rolling without slipping. This means that there is no rolling motion, only a decelerating sliding motion with a fictitious force acting on the center of mass of the disk.
  • #1
Soren4
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I'm confused about this rolling without (or better with) slipping situation. Suppose to have a disk with initial velocity ##v## and angular velocity ##\omega##. The motion is to the right but the angular velocity is counterclockwise.
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There are no forces acting on the disk besides the kinetic friction##\mathbf{f}##.

Things are ok if I take as pivot point the center of mass.
$$\{\begin{matrix} - \mathbf{f} = m\mathbf{a_{CM}}\\ - \mathbf{r} \times \mathbf{f} =I_{cm} \mathbf{\alpha} \end{matrix}\tag{1}$$

But if I take the point ##O## on the ground, then the kinetic friction has zero torque.

$$\{\begin{matrix} - \mathbf{f} = m\mathbf{a_{CM}}\\ 0 =I_{O} \mathbf{\alpha} \end{matrix}\tag{2}$$

I assumed that the angular velocity (and so $\alpha$) is the same it I take as pivot the center of mass or the point##O##.

If this is the case than parallel axis theorem can be used and $$I_O=I_{cm}+m \mathbf{r}^2$$But there is a contradiction since I get ##\alpha=0## from ##(2)## and ##\alpha\neq0## from##(1)##.

How can that be? Maybe##\alpha## is not the same in the two cases?
 
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  • #2
Soren4 said:
I'm confused about this rolling without slipping situation. Suppose to have a disk with initial velocity vvv and angular velocity ωω\omega. The motion is to the right but the angular velocity is counterclockwise.

i fail to see a counter clockwise angular velocity when the disk is moving to the right side.
 
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  • #3
drvrm said:
i fail to see a counter clockwise angular velocity when the disk is moving to the right side.
I'm sorry the disk is actually slipping, I called this rolling without slippping problem, because usually in these problems you have to find the conditions for rolling without slipping indeed.

Just ignore it, the disk is slipping, of course
 
  • #4
Soren4 said:
I'm sorry the disk is actually slipping, I called this rolling without slippping problem, because usually in these problems you have to find the conditions for rolling without slipping indeed.

Just ignore it, the disk is slipping, of course

if the disk is slipping only ,then there is no rolling motion;

then the equations for the motion of center of mass only and
the frictional force will be slowly decelerating the motion - no rotation of the disk.

if you consider both rolling and slipping combined then only the torque due to friction will operate about an axis passing through center of mass,
 
  • #5
If the disk is sliding, O is not a pivot point, and could not be used as a basis for parallel axis method. The bottom point on the disk would be a pivot point, but it's sliding and decelerating.

You could consider the contact point of the sliding disk as a pivot point, but it's an accelerating (decelerating) frame of reference, so there would be a fictitious force effectively applied to the center of mass of the disk, related to the acceleration (deceleration) of the disk.
 
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1. How is rolling without slipping different from rolling with slipping?

Rolling without slipping occurs when the object is rolling and rotating without any sliding or slipping at the point of contact. This means that the velocity of the center of mass is equal to the linear velocity of the point of contact. In contrast, rolling with slipping occurs when there is a difference between the velocity of the center of mass and the linear velocity of the point of contact, resulting in slipping or sliding at the contact point.

2. What is the significance of taking the contact point as the pivot in rolling without slipping?

Taking the contact point as the pivot in rolling without slipping allows for a simplified analysis of the motion of the object. This is because the point of contact remains stationary and acts as the axis of rotation for the object. This makes it easier to calculate the linear and angular velocities, as well as the forces and torques acting on the object.

3. Can an object roll without slipping if there is no friction present?

No, an object cannot roll without slipping if there is no friction present. Friction is necessary for the object to have a point of contact that remains stationary, allowing for the rolling motion. Without friction, the object would simply slide or skid instead of rolling.

4. How does the shape and size of an object affect its ability to roll without slipping?

The shape and size of an object can affect its ability to roll without slipping in several ways. A larger object will have a greater moment of inertia and therefore require more torque to roll without slipping. The shape of the object can also affect its distribution of mass, which can impact its rotational motion. Objects with irregular shapes may also have multiple points of contact, making it more difficult to analyze the rolling motion.

5. What are some real-life examples of objects that roll without slipping?

Some real-life examples of objects that roll without slipping include wheels on a car, a rolling ball, a rolling coin, and a rolling cylinder. In each of these examples, the point of contact remains stationary and the object has both translational and rotational motion without slipping or sliding at the contact point.

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