Linear and Angular Momentum Problem

In summary, we have a physics problem involving a bowling ball starting with an initial speed of 5 m/s on an alley and the coefficient of friction is 0.30. We need to determine how far the ball will travel until it reaches pure rolling motion. By using equations of motion and the requirement for pure rolling, we can find the time T when the ball starts pure rolling and then use this value to calculate the distance traveled. The final answer is 2.08 meters.
  • #1
xenogizmo
30
0
Hey Everyone,
I have this physics problem, and I'm not really sure how to solve it using linear and angular momentum, I know it can be solved otherwise in different methods, but I'm interested in this one..
The question is:

"A bowling ball is given an initial speed of 5 m/s on an alley such that it slides initially without rolling. The coefficient of friction between teh ball and the alley is 0.30. How far must the ball travel until pure rolling motion?"

Now I know that the friction force causes the change in linear momentum, and the change in angular momentum, so we equate them and solve using the formula of work..
But after I do that it gets really messy, and I had to add a negative sign for no reason to get the right answer..

So I would reeeally appreciate it if someone could write a full explanatory solution showing the steps, thanks a lot!

Xeno


ps. the right answer is 2.08 meters, if you guys want to check your answers
 
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  • #2
xenogizmo said:
The question is:

"A bowling ball is given an initial speed of 5 m/s on an alley such that it slides initially without rolling. The coefficient of friction between teh ball and the alley is 0.30. How far must the ball travel until pure rolling motion?"

Now I know that the friction force causes the change in linear momentum, and the change in angular momentum, so we equate them and solve using the formula of work..
But after I do that it gets really messy, and I had to add a negative sign for no reason to get the right answer..


Do not forget that he work of friction is negative as the force is opposite to the displacement.

ehild
 
  • #3
1. The equations of motion:
In the horizontal direction, Newton's second law states for the acceleration of the center of mass:
[tex]-\mu{M}g=Ma_{C.M}[/tex]
(The force acts in the negative horizontal direction)
The torque about the C.M is:
[tex]-R\vec{k}\times(-\mu{M}g\vec{i})=\frac{2}{5}MR^{2}\dot{\omega}\vec{j}[/tex]
Where R is the radius of the sphere (it will cancel out in your problem later on).
These equations yields the expressions for the C.M velocity and the angular velocity in the period up to pure rolling.

To determine the time T when the ball starts pure rolling, we use the requirement:
[tex]v_{G}(T)+\omega(T)\vec{j}\times(-R\vec{k})=\vec{0}[/tex]

Hope that helped..
 
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  • #4
Could you explain the left side of your equation please. [tex]-\mu{M}g=Ma_{g}[/tex]
You have equal and opposite forces. But I don't see why you chose -mu*M*g. Also what is A_g on the right side. Is that the acceleration due to gravity, or the center of mass?

Also in the second equation, is R the radius?
 
  • #5
good catch, cyrus:
I've done some editing; there is only one horizontal force acting on the system.
 
  • #6
If you have time arildno, can you step through the calculations. I tried to do some work on it myself but did not get very far. It seems that you equated the torque equal to = I*omega. But I thought torque is equal to I domega/dt. So what happened to the dt at the bottom. Also where does the R cancel out? That equation leaves you with one R. Thanks for your help!
 
  • #7
First, I wrote [tex]\dot{\omega}[/tex] rather than [tex]\omega[/tex]

The "dot"-notation is a hallowed tradition reaching back to Newton for writing time-derivatives..:wink:
So, we're in agreement here!
I'll post a detailed solution a bit later.
 
  • #8
For the solution:
We find that the velocity of the C.M must be:
[tex]v_{G}(T)=v_{0}-\mu{g}t, v_{0}=5m/s[/tex] (in the [tex]\vec{i}[/tex]-direction)
The equation for the angular velocity as a function of time is:
[tex]\omega(t)=\frac{5\mu{gt}}{2R}[/tex]

Now, to determine "T" in the rolling condition, we note that:
[tex]\omega(T)\vec{j}\times(\vec{-R}\vec{k})=-\frac{5\mu{gT}}{2}\vec{i}[/tex]
Hence, we must have, in the [tex]\vec{i}[/tex] direction:
[tex]v_{0}-\mu{g}T-\frac{5\mu{g}T}{2}=0[/tex]
Or:
[tex]T=\frac{2v_{0}}{7\mu{g}}[/tex]

This T-value is then used in the distance formula:
[tex]r(T)=v_{0}T-\frac{\mu{g}T^{2}}{2}=\frac{12v_{0}^{2}}{49\mu{g}}[/tex]
 
Last edited:

1. What is the difference between linear and angular momentum?

Linear momentum is the measure of an object's motion in a straight line, while angular momentum is the measure of an object's rotational motion around a fixed point.

2. How is linear momentum calculated in a system of particles?

Linear momentum is calculated by multiplying an object's mass by its velocity. In a system of particles, the total linear momentum is the sum of each particle's individual momentum.

3. What is the principle of conservation of linear momentum?

The principle of conservation of linear momentum states that in a closed system, the total linear momentum remains constant. This means that the initial momentum of the system is equal to the final momentum, even if the particles within the system collide or interact with each other.

4. How does angular momentum change in a system without any external torques?

In a closed system without any external torques, the total angular momentum remains constant. This is known as the conservation of angular momentum. Any changes in the angular momentum of individual particles within the system will be offset by an equal and opposite change in the angular momentum of other particles in the system.

5. Can both linear and angular momentum be conserved in the same system?

Yes, both linear and angular momentum can be conserved in the same system as long as there are no external forces or torques acting on the system.

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