Rolling on an Incline: Will a Sphere Continue Pure Rolling?

In summary, the conversation is discussing the concept of pure rolling on a smooth inclined plane. The solution is to find the linear and angular accelerations of the sphere using Newton's laws and determine if they are equal. If they are equal, then the sphere will continue pure rolling, but if not, it will either speed up or slow down. There is a disagreement about whether the sphere can roll at all without friction, but it is clarified that the problem states the sphere is already in pure rolling motion.
  • #1
sachin123
121
0

Homework Statement



A smooth inclined plane with inclination [tex]\theta[/tex] is fixed in a car accelerating on a horizontal surface with a=gtan([tex]\theta[/tex]).A sphere is set pure rolling on this incline.
Will it continue pure rolling?


The Attempt at a Solution


My idea is to find the linear acceleration of the sphere using Newton's laws along the incline.

Then I find the angular acceleration equating Torque exerted by friction to the product of Moment of Inertia of the sphere and its angular acceleration.Knowing the angular acceleration,I find the linear acceleration by multiplying it with radius of the bob.
If the two accelerations are the same,then it is pure rolling.

Am I right?
When I did it this way,I found that it will not roll purely.
 
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  • #2
As I understand, smooth means no friction? Not that it makes a difference, actually.
Have you drawn a free-body-diagram of the situation? You can make an accelerating system and give the sphere an acceleration oppiste of the one the system has (like, if you lay a ball in a bus and the bus accelerates, what you see inside the bus is the ball accelerating, but backwards).
Now, see if the sphere has any linear acceleration (in direction of the inclined plane). If it does, it will start to move either slower or faster than what it would be if it was 'pure rolling'. But if it has no acceleration, it will just keep on moving, pure rolling.
BTW, I got that it has no acceleration, and hence "yes, it will continue pure rolling.
Please write, if my explanation was confusing, and I'll draw the free-body-diagram.
 
  • #3
Hey.I actually missed that part of 'smooth'.
So,the bigger question I get is,how will it roll at all,if there isn't any friction?
I did that free diagram part as you said,and got 0 acceleration(linear).
So isn't it just supposed to slide down the incline with constant velocity?
Thanks.
 
  • #4
Where did I go wrong?
 
  • #5
Well, the problem states, that the sphere is "set pure rolling", so the rolling is started by "you" and not the incline. So, say it starts with some velocity v, then it has an angular velocity v/r, and when its velocity doesn't change (the 0 acceleration), it must continue pure rolling.
 

FAQ: Rolling on an Incline: Will a Sphere Continue Pure Rolling?

What is torque?

Torque is a measure of the force that causes an object to rotate around an axis. It is calculated by multiplying the force applied to an object by the distance from the axis of rotation.

How is torque related to rolling?

In the context of rolling, torque is the force that causes a rolling object to accelerate or decelerate. This is because torque is required to change the rotational motion of the object.

What factors affect the amount of torque in a rolling object?

The amount of torque in a rolling object is affected by the applied force, the distance from the axis of rotation, and the moment of inertia of the object. The surface on which the object is rolling can also affect the amount of torque.

How does torque affect the speed of a rolling object?

The amount of torque applied to a rolling object can affect its speed by either accelerating or decelerating the object. The direction of the applied torque also plays a role in the direction of the object's rotational motion.

What is the difference between static and dynamic rolling friction?

Static rolling friction refers to the resistance to motion that occurs when a stationary object is set in motion. Dynamic rolling friction, on the other hand, refers to the resistance to motion that occurs when an object is already in motion. Static rolling friction is typically higher than dynamic rolling friction.

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