Rolling Friction: Does Work Occur on Rolling Objects?

[ashishsinghal]

Does friction does any work on an object purely rolling? Would mechanical energy be always conserved when when an object rolls?
I feel that friction does no work as the point of contact never moves. So there will be no change in energy.
Am I having conceptual error?

 

[Doc Al]

For something rolling without slipping, there may be static friction, which does no work. However rolling friction is something else entirely. That has to do with deformation of the surfaces and is usually smaller than kinetic friction. Often it's ignored in elementary problems.

 

[ashishsinghal]

So mechanical energy would be conserved right?

 

[Doc Al]

So mechanical energy would be conserved right?

If you ignore rolling friction, yes.

 

[rcgldr]

Normally the term rolling resistance is used to decribe the force opposing rolling motion due to deformation and hysteresis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_resistance