Wheel Rotation: Vertical or Horizontal?

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The discussion revolves around the motion of a hot splinter dislodged from a spinning grinding wheel, focusing on the implications of vertical versus horizontal axes of rotation. Participants clarify that the axis of rotation can be visualized as either horizontal or vertical, affecting the splinter's trajectory. When the axis is horizontal, the splinter's motion resembles that of a car wheel, while a vertical axis suggests a different path. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding tangential and centripetal acceleration in predicting the splinter's movement. Overall, the analysis hinges on accurately visualizing the axis of rotation to determine the splinter's subsequent motion.
majstro
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Need some help with a problem here:

A hot splinter is dislodged from a spinning grinding wheel. Which of the paths drawn in figure best represent its subsequent motion, given that the axis of rotation is a) vertical b) horizontal ?

Heres is the picture for the q.:

http://img300.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wheeljm9.jpg
 
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Well, what do you think? Please show your thoughts on the question.
 
First, what do they mean with vertical/horizontal- axis?
 
The axis of the wheel on the example is pointing "into" the picture. Am i right?
 
could someone define horizontal/vertical-axis
 
majstro said:
The axis of the wheel on the example is pointing "into" the picture. Am i right?

I'd imagine that if the axis of rotation is horizontal, then you can take the axis going into the diagram. If the axis of rotation is vertical, imagine the wheel spinning about a veritcal line drawn down the wheel through the centre.
 
For part b) your drawing seems correct (as it will be rotating much like a wheel of a car, in ideal conditions)...so my suggestion is to draw the acceleration vectors for some point on the wheel and make my guess from their.

Remember there is a tangential and a centripital acceleration...what does this mean?
 
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