Static friction on objects resting on a rotating surface

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the forces acting on a brick resting on the edge of a rotating disc, specifically focusing on the role of static friction in maintaining circular motion.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the nature of static friction and its direction, questioning whether it acts tangentially to prevent slipping or only radially to maintain circular motion.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered insights into the behavior of static friction and its implications for the motion of the brick, while others express confusion about the conditions under which the disc might slip beneath the brick. Multiple interpretations of static friction's role are being examined.

Contextual Notes

There is a discussion about the initial conditions when the disc starts rotating and how kinetic friction may have played a role in the brick's acceleration to match the disc's velocity.

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Homework Statement



Suppose I have a brick that's sitting at the edge of a disc that is rotating clockwise with uniform circular motion.

I what direction(s) are the forces of static friction acting?

Homework Equations



a = v^2/r


The Attempt at a Solution



I know that a centripetal force from static friction acts on the brick to keep it moving in a circle along with the disc. Is there also a static friction force acting on the brick tangentially in a counterclockwise direction to prevent the disc from slipping under the brick?
 
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The brick is moving in a circle with constant speed. What would happen to the
speed of the brick if there was a friction force that wasn't perpendicular to the direction of the velocity?
 
No.

ehild
 
If a force were applied tangentially, the brick would move in non-uniform circular motion (either accelerating or decelerating tangentially).

The trouble I have is with the fact that the force in question is friction; and that static friction can act without causing an object to move.

I'm finding it hard to picture why the disc doesn't slip (tangentially) under the brick, if static friction only points towards the centre of the disc.
 
A body performs uniform circular motion under the effect of the appropriate centripetal force. If the brick moves already together with the disk then the only in-plane force points towards the centre of the disc and equals to mv^/R.

When the disk was in rest and started to rotate, the brick might have slipped at the beginning till the kinetic friction had accelerated it to the velocity equal to its place on the disk. At this starting period, the force had both radial and tangential components.

ehild
 

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