A very tought physics sum I am having trouble with.

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A student is struggling with a physics problem involving a hollow cylinder rolling up a 15-degree incline at a speed of 3.3 m/s. The main questions are how far the cylinder will travel up the incline and how long it will take to return to the bottom. Initial calculations suggest it will travel 4.3 meters and take 5.2 seconds, but there is confusion regarding the application of conservation of energy, particularly the kinetic energy of a rolling hoop. It's emphasized that the total mechanical energy remains constant and that understanding the kinetic energy definition for a rolling object is crucial for solving the problem. The discussion highlights the importance of rotational inertia in addressing such questions effectively.
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Hi,

I am preparing for my exam and I am stuck on one question.The question is:

A hallow cylinder(hoop) is rolling on a horizontal surface with at a speed v=3.3m/s when it reaches a 15degrees incline . a) how far up the incline will it go?.
b) How long will it be on the incline before it arrives back at the bottom.

Thanks for anyone that helps.This is not a home work question, just a question i am trying to attempt from my textbook.I know that answers though.

a)4.3m b)5.2s
 
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Hmm... I'm not really sure how a) can be correct. Using that incline and conservation of energy, it comes out to 2.15m according to my calculations. Did you possibly use mv^2 instead of 1/2mv^2?
 
Using energy conservation, I get 4.289 for a).

For b): Can you figure out the cylinder's acceleration?
Hint: The total acceleration of the cylinder is the same as the tangential acceleration.
 
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For part (a) energy conservation is a good plan. The total mechanical energy remains constant... so thinking to set the initial KE equal the final PE is conceptually correct. However, the KE of a rolling hoop is significantly different than the KE of a sliding block (or hoop). Review in your text the KE definition of a rolling hoop. note... If you have not yet explored rotational inertia in your class, you will have some trouble with this question.
 
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