Rolling motion is that common combination of rotational and translational motion that we see everywhere, every day. Think about the different situations of wheels moving on a car along a highway, or wheels on a plane landing on a runway, or wheels on a robotic explorer on another planet. Understanding the forces and torques involved in rolling motion is a crucial factor in many different types of situations.
For analyzing rolling motion in this chapter, refer to Figure 10.20 in Fixed-Axis Rotation to find moments of inertia of some common geometrical objects. You may also find it useful in other calculations involving rotation.
Rolling Motion without Slipping
People have observed rolling motion without slipping ever since the invention of the wheel. For example, we can look at the interaction of a car’s tires and the surface of the road. If the driver depresses the accelerator to the floor, such that the tires spin without the car moving forward, there must be kinetic friction between the wheels and the surface of the road. If the driver depresses the accelerator slowly, causing the car to move forward, then the tires roll without slipping. It is surprising to most people that, in fact, the bottom of the wheel is at rest with respect to the ground, indicating there must be static friction between the tires and the road surface. In Figure 11.2, the bicycle is in motion with the rider staying upright. The tires have contact with the road surface, and, even though they are rolling, the bottoms of the tires deform slightly, do not slip, and are at rest with respect to the road surface for a measurable amount of time. There must be static friction between the tire and the road surface for this to be so.
Figure 11.2(a) The bicycle moves forward, and its tires do not slip. The bottom of the slightly deformed tire is at rest with respect to the road surface for a measurable amount of time. (b) This image shows that the top of a rolling wheel appears blurred by its motion, but the bottom of the wheel is instantaneously at rest.(a) The bicycle moves forward, and its tires do not slip. The bottom of the slightly deformed tire is at rest with respect to the road surface for a measurable amount of time. (b) This image shows that the top of a rolling wheel appears blurred by its motion, but the bottom of the wheel is instantaneously at rest. (credit a: modification of work by Nelson Lourenço; credit b: modification of work by Colin Rose)
To analyze rolling without slipping, we first derive the linear variables of velocity and acceleration of the center of mass of the wheel in terms of the angular variables that describe the wheel’s motion. The situation is shown in Figure 11.3.
Figure 11.3(a) A wheel is pulled across a horizontal surface by a force . The force of static friction is large enough to keep it from slipping. (b) The linear velocity and acceleration vectors of the center of mass and the relevant expressions for . Point P is at rest relative to the surface. (c) Relative to the center of mass (CM) frame, point P has linear velocity .
From Figure 11.3(a), we see the force vectors involved in preventing the wheel from slipping. In (b), point P that touches the surface is at rest relative to the surface. Relative to the center of mass, point P has velocity , where R is the radius of the wheel and is the wheel’s angular velocity about its axis. Since the wheel is rolling, the velocity of P with respect to the surface is its velocity with respect to the center of mass plus the velocity of the center of mass with respect to the surface:
Since the velocity of P relative to the surface is zero, , this says that
(11.1)
Thus, the velocity of the wheel’s center of mass is its radius times the angular velocity about its axis. We show the correspondence of the linear variable on the left side of the equation with the angular variable on the right side of the equation. This is done below for the linear acceleration.
If we differentiate Equation 11.1 on the left side of the equation, we obtain an expression for the linear acceleration of the center of mass. On the right side of the equation, R is a constant and since we have
Furthermore, we can find the distance the wheel travels in terms of angular variables by referring to Figure 11.4. As the wheel rolls from point A to point B, its outer surface maps onto the ground by exactly the distance travelled, which is We see from Figure 11.4 that the length of the outer surface that maps onto the ground is the arc length . Equating the two distances, we obtain
Figure 11.4As the wheel rolls on the surface, the arc length from A to B maps onto the surface, corresponding to the distance that the center of mass has moved.
It is worthwhile to repeat the equation derived in this example for the acceleration of an object rolling without slipping:
(11.4)
This is a very useful equation for solving problems involving rolling without slipping. Note that the acceleration is less than that of an object sliding down a frictionless plane with no rotation. The acceleration will also be different for two rotating objects with different rotational inertias.
Rolling Motion with Slipping
In the case of rolling motion with slipping, we must use the coefficient of kinetic friction, which gives rise to the kinetic friction force since static friction is not present. The situation is shown in Figure 11.6. In the case of slipping, , because point P on the wheel is not at rest on the surface, and . Thus, .
Figure 11.6(a) Kinetic friction arises between the wheel and the surface because the wheel is slipping. (b) The simple relationships between the linear and angular variables are no longer valid.
Conservation of Mechanical Energy in Rolling Motion
In the preceding chapter, we introduced rotational kinetic energy. Any rolling object carries rotational kinetic energy, as well as translational kinetic energy and potential energy if the system requires. Including the gravitational potential energy, the total mechanical energy of an object rolling is
In the absence of any nonconservative forces that would take energy out of the system in the form of heat, the total energy of a rolling object without slipping is conserved and is constant throughout the motion. Examples where energy is not conserved are a rolling object that is slipping, production of heat as a result of kinetic friction, and a rolling object encountering air resistance.
You may ask why a rolling object that is not slipping conserves energy, since the static friction force is nonconservative. The answer can be found by referring back to Figure 11.3. Point P in contact with the surface is at rest with respect to the surface. Therefore, its infinitesimal displacement with respect to the surface is zero, and the incremental work done by the static friction force is zero. We can apply energy conservation to our study of rolling motion to bring out some interesting results.
Summary
In rolling motion without slipping, a static friction force is present between the rolling object and the surface. The relations all apply, such that the linear velocity, acceleration, and distance of the center of mass are the angular variables multiplied by the radius of the object.
In rolling motion with slipping, a kinetic friction force arises between the rolling object and the surface. In this case, .
Energy conservation can be used to analyze rolling motion. Energy is conserved in rolling motion without slipping. Energy is not conserved in rolling motion with slipping due to the heat generated by kinetic friction.
Conceptual Questions
Can a round object released from rest at the top of a frictionless incline undergo rolling motion?
No, the static friction force is zero.
A cylindrical can of radius R is rolling across a horizontal surface without slipping. (a) After one complete revolution of the can, what is the distance that its center of mass has moved? (b) Would this distance be greater or smaller if slipping occurred?
A wheel is released from the top on an incline. Is the wheel most likely to slip if the incline is steep or gently sloped?
The wheel is more likely to slip on a steep incline since the coefficient of static friction must increase with the angle to keep rolling motion without slipping.
Which rolls down an inclined plane faster, a hollow cylinder or a solid sphere? Both have the same mass and radius.
A hollow sphere and a hollow cylinder of the same radius and mass roll up an incline without slipping and have the same initial center of mass velocity. Which object reaches a greater height before stopping?
The cylinder reaches a greater height. By Equation 11.4, its acceleration in the direction down the incline would be less.
Problems
What is the angular velocity of a 75.0-cm-diameter tire on an automobile traveling at 90.0 km/h?
A boy rides his bicycle 2.00 km. The wheels have radius 30.0 cm. What is the total angle the tires rotate through during his trip?
If the boy on the bicycle in the preceding problem accelerates from rest to a speed of 10.0 m/s in 10.0 s, what is the angular acceleration of the tires?
Formula One race cars have 66-cm-diameter tires. If a Formula One averages a speed of 300 km/h during a race, what is the angular displacement in revolutions of the wheels if the race car maintains this speed for 1.5 hours?
A marble rolls down an incline at from rest. (a) What is its acceleration? (b) How far does it go in 3.0 s?
Repeat the preceding problem replacing the marble with a solid cylinder. Explain the new result.
A rigid body with a cylindrical cross-section is released from the top of a incline. It rolls 10.0 m to the bottom in 2.60 s. Find the moment of inertia of the body in terms of its mass m and radius r.
positive is down the incline plane;
,
A yo-yo can be thought of a solid cylinder of mass m and radius r that has a light string wrapped around its circumference (see below). One end of the string is held fixed in space. If the cylinder falls as the string unwinds without slipping, what is the acceleration of the cylinder?
A solid cylinder of radius 10.0 cm rolls down an incline with slipping. The angle of the incline is The coefficient of kinetic friction on the surface is 0.400. What is the angular acceleration of the solid cylinder? What is the linear acceleration?
,
A bowling ball rolls up a ramp 0.5 m high without slipping to storage. It has an initial velocity of its center of mass of 3.0 m/s. (a) What is its velocity at the top of the ramp? (b) If the ramp is 1 m high does it make it to the top?
A 40.0-kg solid cylinder is rolling across a horizontal surface at a speed of 6.0 m/s. How much work is required to stop it?
A 40.0-kg solid sphere is rolling across a horizontal surface with a speed of 6.0 m/s. How much work is required to stop it? Compare results with the preceding problem.
A solid cylinder rolls up an incline at an angle of If it starts at the bottom with a speed of 10 m/s, how far up the incline does it travel?
Mechanical energy at the bottom equals mechanical energy at the top;
,
so the distance up the incline is .
A solid cylindrical wheel of mass M and radius R is pulled by a force applied to the center of the wheel at to the horizontal (see the following figure). If the wheel is to roll without slipping, what is the maximum value of The coefficients of static and kinetic friction are
A hollow cylinder that is rolling without slipping is given an initial velocity and rolls up an incline to a vertical height of 1.0 m. If a hollow sphere of the same mass and radius is given the same initial velocity, how high vertically does it roll up the incline?
Use energy conservation
,
.
Subtracting the two equations, eliminating the initial translational energy, we have
,
,
The ratio of the height reached by the sphere to the height reached by the cylinder is
So the sphere reaches a lower height of