Sphere rolling down an incline problem.

In summary, a uniform solid sphere rolls without slipping down a ramp inclined at 28° with the horizontal. The sphere's angular speed at the bottom of the slope is v=37.1 m/s.
  • #1
Brocoly
6
0

Homework Statement


A uniform solid sphere, of radius 0.20 m, rolls without slipping 6.0 m down a ramp that is inclined at 28° with the horizontal. What is the angular speed of the sphere at the bottom of the slope if it starts from rest?

Homework Equations


KE=1/2Iw^2
PE=mgh
I don't know what to use for this.

The Attempt at a Solution


Ma = MgSin(28)-Ff[/B]
 
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  • #2
Hi veg, welcome to PF.
Your attempt at a solution has fallen off the map, and there is some more needed under 2) relevant equations.

I hope you've done a few slip/non slip slope exercises and are familiar with the combination of rolling and accelerating ?

In that case you know that he kinetic energy equation you listed applies to rotation about a stationary axis. Here, however, the axis is moving down the slope, which accounts for a kinetic energy due to linear motion too: KE = 1/2 m v2. So revise the list of eqns and show your attempt at solution , please :)
 
  • #3

Homework Statement


A uniform solid sphere, of radius 0.20 m, rolls without slipping 6.0 m down a ramp that is inclined at 28° with the horizontal. What is the angular speed of the sphere at the bottom of the slope if it starts from rest?

Homework Equations


w=(theta)/t
a=w/t
v=r(theta)/t
I don't know what to use for this.

The Attempt at a Solution


Acceleration = m(9.81m/s^2)(sin(28)) - Friction
At the end it did 6.0m/2pi(0.20m) revs over the time it took. (4.78rev/t)
from mgh=1/2mv^2+1/2Iw^2 i can get v^2=2gh/(1+I/mr^2)
I have no idea how to find the time from these variables.
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Much better!
This way I can ask some pertinent questions that might help you to get going.

##\omega =\Delta \theta/t## is for average angular velocity. Not good here: we have some constant acceleration and some constant angular acceleration, and the coupling is established by the non-slipping condition, which you kind of mention: ##v = \omega r##.

Look up some equations for linear motion with constant acceleration plus some (surprisingly similar-looking) equations for angular motion with constant angular acceleration and see what you can use to get a grip on this nice exercise !

There might even be a shortcut possible: the time isn't asked for, so perhaps an energy balance (more equations still!) gets us to the answer in one fell swoop (provided it's a complete balance...) !
 
  • #5
Ok i think i got it.
v=rw
x=r(theta)
a=r(angular a)

(9.81)(sin(28))/(0.20)=angular a=23
(theta)=6/0.20=30
w^2=2(23)(30)
[w=37.1] is this correct?
 
  • #6
Acceleration = m(9.81m/s^2)(sin(28)) - Friction was better ! So ##\alpha## is alittle smaller than you think.

Friction is the one that causes the ball to rotate around its axis. Look up ##\tau = I\alpha## and ##\tau = r \times F##.

At the risk of repeating myself:
Look up some equations for linear motion with constant acceleration plus some (surprisingly similar-looking) equations for angular motion with constant angular acceleration and see what you can use to get a grip on this nice exercise !
 
  • #7
Ok so what i did to try to find it is i took sin(28)*6 to find the height of at the start which is 2.82m
Then i did mgh=1/2mv^2 + 1/2Iw^2 which worked out to be 2gh=v^2
I got v as 7.438m/s and from that i did v/r=w
so i got w as 37.2m/s
I just need to convert it to rad/s
 
Last edited:
  • #8
##mgh = {1\over 2} mv^2 + {1\over 2} I\omega^2\ \Rightarrow \ 2gh = v^2 + I\omega^2/m## is good. That's the energy balance.The ##2gh=v^2## that you worked out misses the rotation part and can't be right.
And then: re dimension: ##v=\omega r##, so with v in m/s and r in m, the quotient is in radians/s, not m/s.Since you have ##v=\omega r## you only need ##I## to crack this one. (No need to go via ##v## if they want ##\omega##)
 

Related to Sphere rolling down an incline problem.

1. How does the mass of the sphere affect its acceleration down the incline?

The mass of a sphere does not affect its acceleration down an incline. According to Newton's second law of motion, the force of gravity on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration due to gravity. Since the mass cancels out on both sides of the equation, the acceleration remains constant regardless of the mass of the sphere.

2. What is the relationship between the angle of the incline and the acceleration of the sphere?

The acceleration of a sphere down an incline is directly proportional to the sine of the angle of the incline. This means that as the angle of the incline increases, so does the acceleration of the sphere. However, this relationship is only true if there is no friction present.

3. How does friction affect the motion of the sphere down the incline?

Friction can significantly affect the motion of a sphere down an incline. It acts in the opposite direction of the motion of the sphere, causing it to slow down. The coefficient of friction, which depends on the surface of the incline and the sphere, determines the magnitude of the frictional force. The greater the coefficient of friction, the more the sphere will slow down as it rolls down the incline.

4. Can the speed of the sphere be calculated at different points along the incline?

Yes, the speed of the sphere can be calculated at different points along the incline using the formula v = √(2gh), where v is the speed, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the sphere above the starting point. This formula only applies if there is no friction present.

5. What is the difference between rolling and sliding down an incline?

Rolling and sliding are two different types of motion that a sphere can experience while going down an incline. Rolling involves the sphere rotating as it moves down the incline, while sliding does not involve any rotation. Rolling is usually a smoother and faster motion, while sliding is slower and can be affected by friction more easily. The type of motion depends on factors such as the angle of the incline, the surface of the incline, and the coefficient of friction.

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