Why Does a Rolling Disk Have No Translational Kinetic Energy?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the kinetic energy of a rolling disk, specifically addressing why it is considered to have no translational kinetic energy component and the role of friction in this context.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between static friction and work, questioning why static friction does not perform work when the disk rolls without slipping. There is also an inquiry into how the moment of inertia calculated about the ground incorporates translational kinetic energy.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered explanations regarding the nature of static friction and its implications for work done. There is an ongoing exploration of the parallel axis theorem and its relevance to the kinetic energy calculations for the rolling disk.

Contextual Notes

The discussion references specific equations related to the kinetic energy of rigid bodies and the conditions of rolling without slipping, which may impose constraints on the interpretations being considered.

princejan7
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Homework Statement



http://postimg.org/image/m9wtlg5ah/

taking T1 for example
why does the disk have no translational kinetic energy component?

And why does the friction do no work?

Homework Equations



Kinetic energy of a rigid body in planar motion

T = ##\frac{1}{2}m{v_G}^2 + \frac{1}{2}I_G{w_B}^2##


The Attempt at a Solution

 
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princejan7 said:

Homework Statement



http://postimg.org/image/m9wtlg5ah/

taking T1 for example
why does the disk have no translational kinetic energy component?

And why does the friction do no work?

Homework Equations



Kinetic energy of a rigid body in planar motion

T = ##\frac{1}{2}m{v_G}^2 + \frac{1}{2}I_G{w_B}^2##


The Attempt at a Solution


Since the disc is not slipping, the friction force is static, not kinetic. Being static , the contact is always instantaneously at rest with respect to the ground, and since it doesn't move, the friction does no work.
Regarding translational KE, well, it exists for sure, but the solution chose to calculate the moment of inertia of the disc about the ground, not its mass center, and by so doing, it already encompasses the translational component of the KE
 
PhanthomJay said:
Since the disc is not slipping, the friction force is static, not kinetic. Being static , the contact is always instantaneously at rest with respect to the ground, and since it doesn't move, the friction does no work.
Regarding translational KE, well, it exists for sure, but the solution chose to calculate the moment of inertia of the disc about the ground, not its mass center, and by so doing, it already encompasses the translational component of the KE


thanks
could you explain why using ##I_q## encompasses the translational component of the KE
 
princejan7 said:
thanks
could you explain why using ##I_q## encompasses the translational component of the KE
The translational kinetic energy is encompassed in the 'mr^2' term of the parallel axis theorem. When using the contact point as the axis of rotation, recall that the instantaneous velocity of that point with respect to the surface is 0 , so in effect the object is considered rotating about that point in pure rotation. It is an alternate means of approaching the problem. Consider for example a rolling disk of mass m and radius r, rolling on a level surface without slipping. You can calculate its kinetic energy by summing the rotational KE through the center of mass and the translation KE of its center of mass, or you can use the parallel axis theorem to determine the rotational inertia about the contact point and calculate the KE as pure rotational KE without the translational KE (which is 0). You will get the same result either way.
 

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