Speed of a ball rolling down an incline

AI Thread Summary
A hollow basketball rolls down a 30° incline, and the problem is to find its speed after traveling 8.4 m from rest. The key to solving this problem lies in using conservation of energy, which accounts for both translational and rotational kinetic energy. The relationship between linear speed and angular speed is given by the equation v = ωR, where mass and radius will cancel out in the calculations. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding rolling motion and energy conservation principles. This approach allows for solving the problem without needing the mass or radius of the basketball.
captainjack
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Homework Statement



A hollow basketball rolls down a 30\circ incline. If it starts from rest, what is its speed after it's gone 8.4 m along the incline?

Homework Equations



v=\omegaR

The Attempt at a Solution



I don't really know where to start with this. I've done similar problems, but I was given the mass of the rolling object. What equations would I need to manipulate so that I don't need the mass or radius of the basketball? I feel like this is a fairly simple problem, but my professor never showed us how to do one without mass, and the book doesn't explain either.

I know that to receive help here I'm supposed to have made an attempt at the problem, but I would greatly appreciate any help. Even if it is just a few equations that I should be looking at.
 
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hi captainjack! :smile:

(have an omega: ω :wink:)

call the mass "m" and the radius "r", and use conservation of energy, with your rolling constraint v = ωr …

what do you get? :smile:
 
Just call the mass m, and the radius of the ball be R. They will cancel.
Conservation of energy is very useful for such problems. The ball rolls, so it has both translational and rotational kinetic energy, and rolling means that the speed of translation and the angular speed of rotation are related as v=wR.

Edit:Tiny-tim beat me ...

ehild
 
Thank you so much (: figured it was some super important rule I was forgetting XP
 
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