Chapter 11: Problem 4
A uniform solid sphere rolls down an incline. (a) What must be the incline angle if the linear acceleration of the center of the sphere is to have a magnitude of \(0.10 g ?\) (b) If a frictionless block were to slide down the incline at that angle, would its acceleration magnitude be more than, less than, or equal to \(0.10 \mathrm{~g}\) ? Why?
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Understanding the Situation
Establishing the Equations
Solving for the Incline Angle
Analyzing the Frictionless Block Scenario
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Rolling Motion
- For structures like spheres, rolling without slipping is achieved when the linear speed of its center of mass matches the rotational speed at its surface.
- This leads to the equation: \( v = R \omega \), where \( v \) is the linear velocity, \( R \) is the radius, and \( \omega \) is the angular velocity.
Inclined Plane
- The angle of the incline, when examining motion, directly influences the component of gravitational force acting parallel to the surface.
- This is given by \( F_{\parallel} = mg \sin(\theta) \), where \( m \) is the mass, \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \( \theta \) is the incline angle.
Linear Acceleration
- In the case of a solid sphere, the formula for linear acceleration while rolling without slipping is \( a = \frac{5}{7} g \sin(\theta) \).
- This takes into account both the translational and rotational inertia of the sphere.
Frictionless Motion
- For example, a block sliding frictionlessly on an incline experiences acceleration: \( a' = g \sin(\theta) \).
- This is typically greater than an object rolling, like a sphere, since there is no energy lost or shared with rotational motion.