The discussion centers on the comparison of work done in rolling a stone versus lifting it, specifically when rolling on a smooth incline. Participants agree that while the work done against gravity remains constant in both scenarios, the work associated with accelerating the stone differs. When lifting, the stone is accelerated vertically without rolling, while rolling involves both translational and rotational kinetic energy. Ultimately, if the stone starts and ends at rest, the total work done in both cases is equivalent, despite variations in acceleration during the process.
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It is being rolled on smooth incline.Drakkith said:Can you elaborate? Are you rolling the stone across a smooth, flat surface, up a hill, or somewhere else?
Assuming that the stone begins and ends at rest, any difference in acceleration at the beginning will be made up for at the end, when the deceleration helps it to finish rolling to the top.. So the work should be identical even considering differences in acceleration.Drakkith said:However the work done in accelerating the boulder will probably be different. When lifting it, you just have to accelerate it upwards and there's no rolling.