Oscillations - A puzzling demonstration

[Elixer]

I watched MIT OCW PHYSICS 8.01 lectures, and in lecture no.13, i saw a puzzling demonstration. Link :http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-01Physics-IFall1999/VideoLectures/detail/embed13.htm"

I don't understand, what can be the reason for the oscillations of ball on the track with the smaller radius to have a larger time period than the oscillations of the red object on the larger track? Please explain.

Thank you.
Elixer

 

[alxm]

Cute.

Well, to repeat the question that was asked, but in a more leading way:
How is a ball on a curved track not like a pendulum?

 

[Mu naught]

I think the answer lies somewhere in the fact that the metal ball rolling on a track is actually in contact with the track, but I'd have to think it through some more. This is a very cool demonstration though.

 

[Integral]

What are the balls doing on the track that is different from a pendulum?

Edit: I have now actually watched the demo, I'll rephrase my question.

What is the ball doing on the track that the air car is not?

 

[sophiecentaur]

Good lecture - great little demo.
I wonder how many of the students came up with the answer "in the shower".

 

[Mu naught]

Aha! I feel foolish now . The answer is because the ball is rolling and has an additional angular momentum, while the air car has zero angular momentum. I should have caught that right away, but i was sort of right in the sense that the ball rolls because it's in contact with the track.

 

[Elixer]

So the ball has an angular momentum as well.
But , consider the following

The ball on the circular track has an angular velocity
w = squareroot(g/R)[where R = radius of circular path ,g = acceleration due to Earth's gravity]
So, as the radius of the path the ball travels decreases, w should increase hence time period should decrease, why did T increase?

 

[Mu naught]

T increased because the ball has an additional angular momentum, and thus less linear momentum than if the ball had slid down the track without rolling.