Login
📚 University Physics Volume 1
Chapters ▾
⇩ Download ▾

11.1 Rolling Motion

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 a is a photograph of a person riding a bicycle. The camera followed the bike, so the image of the bike and rider is sharp, the background is blurred due to bike’s motion. Figure b is a photograph of a bicycle wheel rolling on the ground, with the camera stationary relative to the ground. The wheel and spokes are blurred at the top but clear at the bottom.
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 a shows a free body diagram of a wheel, including the location where the forces act. Four forces are shown: M g is a downward force acting on the center of the wheel. N is an upward force acting on the bottom of the wheel. F is a rightward force, acting on the center of the wheel, and f sub s is a leftward force acting on the bottom of the wheel. The force f sub s is smaller or equal to mu sub s times N. Figure b is an illustration of a wheel rolling without slipping on a horizontal surface. Point P is the contact point between the bottom of the wheel and the surface. The wheel has a clockwise rotation, an acceleration to the right of a sub C M and a velocity to the right of v sub V M. The relations omega equals v sub C M over R and alpha equals a sub C M over R are given. A coordinate system with positive x to the right and positive y up is shown. Figure c shows wheel in the center of mass frame. Point P has velocity vector in the negative direction with respect to the center of mass of the wheel. That vector is shown on the diagram and labeled as minus R omega i hat. It is tangent to the wheel at the bottom, and pointing to the left. Additional vectors at various locations on the rim of the wheel are shown, all tangent to the wheel and pointing clockwise.
Figure 11.3 (a) A wheel is pulled across a horizontal surface by a force F. The force of static friction fs,|fs|μsN 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 ωandα. Point P is at rest relative to the surface. (c) Relative to the center of mass (CM) frame, point P has linear velocity Rωi^.

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 Rωi^, where R is the radius of the wheel and ω 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:

vP=Rωi^+vCMi^.

Since the velocity of P relative to the surface is zero, vP=0, this says that

vCM=Rω.

(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 α=dωdt, we have

aCM=Rα.

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 dCM. We see from Figure 11.4 that the length of the outer surface that maps onto the ground is the arc length Rθ. Equating the two distances, we obtain

dCM=Rθ.

A wheel, radius R, rolling on a horizontal surface and moving to the right at v sub C M is drawn in two positions. In the first position, point A on the wheel is at the bottom, in contact with the surface, and point B is at the top. The arc length from A to B along the rim of the wheel is highlighted and labeled as being R theta. In the second position, point B on the wheel is at the bottom, in contact with the surface, and point A is at the top. The horizontal distance between the wheel’s point of contact with the surface in the two illustrated positions is d sub C M. The arc length A B is now on the other side of the wheel.
Figure 11.4 As the wheel rolls on the surface, the arc length Rθ from A to B maps onto the surface, corresponding to the distance dCM 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:

aCM=mgsinθm+(ICM/r2).

(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, vCMRω0, because point P on the wheel is not at rest on the surface, and vP0. Thus, ωvCMR,αaCMR.

Figure a shows a free body diagram of a wheel, including the location where the forces act. Four forces are shown: M g is a downward force acting on the center of the wheel. N is an upward force acting on the bottom of the wheel. F is a force to the right, acting on the center of the wheel, and f sub k is a force to the left acting on the bottom of the wheel. The force f sub k is equal to mu sub k times N. Figure b is an illustration of the wheel rolling and slipping on a horizontal surface. The wheel has a clockwise rotation, an acceleration to the right of a sub C M and a velocity to the right of v sub V M. omega does not equal v sub C M over R and alpha does not equal a sub C M over R. A coordinate system with positive x to the right and positive y up is shown.
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

ET=12mvCM2+12ICMω2+mgh.

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 dr 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 vCM=Rω,aCM=Rα,anddCM=Rθ 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, vCMRω,aCMRα,anddCMRθ.
  • 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?

vCM=Rωω=66.7rad/s

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?

α=3.3rad/s2

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 30° from rest. (a) What is its acceleration? (b) How far does it go in 3.0 s?

ICM=25mr2,aCM=3.5m/s2;x=15.75m

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 30° 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;
aCM=mgsinθm+(ICM/r2)ICM=r2[mgsin30aCMm],
xx0=v0t12aCMt2aCM=2.96m/s2,
ICM=0.66mr2

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?

An illustration of a cylinder, radius r, and the forces on it. The force m g acts on the center of the cylinder and points down. The force T acts on the right hand edge and points up.

A solid cylinder of radius 10.0 cm rolls down an incline with slipping. The angle of the incline is 30°. 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?

α=67.9rad/s2,
(aCM)x=1.5m/s2

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?

W=−1080.0J

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 20°. 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;
12mv02+12(12mr2)(v0r)2=mghh=1g(12+14)v02,
h=7.7m, so the distance up the incline is 22.5m.

A solid cylindrical wheel of mass M and radius R is pulled by a force F applied to the center of the wheel at 37° to the horizontal (see the following figure). If the wheel is to roll without slipping, what is the maximum value of |F|? The coefficients of static and kinetic friction are μS=0.40andμk=0.30.

The forces on a wheel, radius R, on a horizontal surface are shown. The wheel is centered on an x y coordinate system that has positive x to the right and positive y up. Force F acts on the center of the wheel at an angle of 37 degrees above the positive x direction. Force M g acts on the center of the wheel and points down. Force N points up and acts at the contact point where the wheel touches the surface. Force f sub s points to the left and acts at the contact point where the wheel touches the surface.

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
12mv02+12ICylω02=mghCyl,
12mv02+12ISphω02=mghSph.
Subtracting the two equations, eliminating the initial translational energy, we have
hCyl=v02g,
hSph=5v026g,
The ratio of the height reached by the sphere to the height reached by the cylinder is hSphhCyl=56.
So the sphere reaches a lower height of 56(1.0m)=0.83m.