How Do Force and Friction Affect a Rolling Wheel's Motion?

In summary: Newton's 2nd law. The applied force is horizontal and acts directly at the center of the disk. The disk is rolling to the right and has an acceleration of 2.0m/s^2. Using (MR^2)/2 as the rotational inertia, the magnitudes of the applied force and frictional force can be calculated. In summary, the magnitudes of the applied force and frictional force are dependent on the mass and radius of the disk, and can be solved using Newton's 2nd law with the given acceleration.
  • #1
brad sue
281
0
HI ,I don't get the correct answer the the following problem.


A 3kg solid wheel , rolling without slipping on a horizontal surface has a rotational inertia about its given by (MR^2)/2, where M is its mass and R its radius, A force applied to the axle and the center of mass has an acceleration of 2.0m/s^2.
What are the magnitudes of the applied force and the frictional force of the surface?


Here I can not visualize how the force is applied

Thank you
 
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  • #2
Although not specified, I assume the applied force is horizontal. So I visualize the setup like so: Imagine the disk rolling to the right. The force is applied directly at the center of the disk (imagine a chain attached to the axle) and points to the right. You are given the acceleration. Use that info to figure out the forces (using Newton's 2nd law).
 
  • #3
Doc Al said:
Although not specified, I assume the applied force is horizontal. So I visualize the setup like so: Imagine the disk rolling to the right. The force is applied directly at the center of the disk (imagine a chain attached to the axle) and points to the right. You are given the acceleration. Use that info to figure out the forces (using Newton's 2nd law).

OK thanks Doc. Now I will try to solve it!

B
 

Related to How Do Force and Friction Affect a Rolling Wheel's Motion?

1. What is rotational inertia?

Rotational inertia, also known as moment of inertia, is a measure of an object's resistance to rotational motion. It is similar to mass in linear motion, but instead of measuring an object's resistance to linear motion, it measures its resistance to rotational motion.

2. How is rotational inertia calculated?

Rotational inertia is calculated by multiplying the mass of an object by the square of its distance from the axis of rotation. The formula for rotational inertia is I = mr², where I is the rotational inertia, m is the mass, and r is the distance from the axis of rotation.

3. What factors affect rotational inertia?

The two main factors that affect rotational inertia are mass and distance from the axis of rotation. The greater the mass of an object, the greater its rotational inertia. Similarly, the farther an object's mass is from the axis of rotation, the greater its rotational inertia will be.

4. What is torque and how is it related to rotational inertia?

Torque is a measure of the rotational force applied to an object. It is calculated by multiplying the force applied to an object by the distance from the axis of rotation. Torque is directly related to rotational inertia, as a larger rotational inertia requires a greater amount of torque to produce the same amount of rotational acceleration.

5. How does rotational inertia affect an object's motion?

Rotational inertia affects an object's motion by determining how it responds to applied torque. Objects with a larger rotational inertia will require more torque to rotate, and will resist changes in rotational motion more than objects with a smaller rotational inertia. This is why heavier objects are more difficult to rotate than lighter objects.

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