# Static friction for a ball rolling without slipping

1. Jan 10, 2015

### Lola Luck

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data

A bowling ball rolls without slipping up a ramp that slopes upward at an angle β to the horizontal. Treat the ball as a uniform solid sphere, ignoring the finger holes. Explain why the friction force must be directed uphill.

2. Relevant equations

F=ma, torque=I(alpha), a=r(alpha) (I don't think I need any of these for this question)

3. The attempt at a solution

I thought that because the instantaneous velocity for the contact point is in the downhill direction, the friction force must act uphill. However there's an example in my textbook in which the ball rolls downhill and the force of static friction is still uphill. Apparently, the force of friction acts uphill wether the ball is rolling uphill or downhill.

2. Jan 10, 2015

### Nathanael

This would be correct if the friction was kinetic friction. But, if the ball rolls, then the contact point does not slide (the instantaneous velocity of the contact point is zero!) and so the friction is static, which means it is free to act in either direction.

3. Jan 10, 2015

### Lola Luck

Ok, so how do I know it's uphill in this case? I think it's because gravity acts downhill and the force of static friction has to oppose gravity.

4. Jan 10, 2015

### Nathanael

It can act in either direction that it needs to. The key is that the ball is rolling the whole time. What does it mean for the ball to be rolling?

5. Jan 10, 2015

### Lola Luck

That it's accelerating? I'm not sure what you mean.

6. Jan 10, 2015

### Nathanael

Rolling means there is a special relationship between the angular velocity and the linear velocity.
or equivalently, $v=r\omega$ where v is the linear velocity and ω is the angular velocity.

7. Jan 10, 2015

### Lola Luck

If the linear velocity is decreasing (it should be due to gravity), the rotational velocity also decreases. So static friction needs to act uphill to slow the ball down?

8. Jan 10, 2015

### Nathanael

Exactly :)
If the linear velocity is decreasing, then the torque (from friction) must slow the ball's rotation.

9. Jan 10, 2015

### Lola Luck

This topic makes so much more sense now. Thank you for your help! :)

10. Jan 10, 2015

### haruspex

To clarify one point:
In rolling contact with a stationary surface, the point of contact of the wheel/ball is instantaneously stationary.