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PRACTICE / Rolling energy

Which rolling object reaches the greater speed?

A uniform solid cylinder and a thin hoop roll without slipping from rest down the same fixed incline through the same vertical drop. Their moments of inertia are ½mR² and mR² respectively.

What is the ratio of the cylinder’s final centre-of-mass speed to the hoop’s?

Organize the givens & assumptions
  • Cylinder: I = ½mR²
  • Hoop: I = mR²
  • Equal drop from rest

Rigid bodies, enough static friction for pure rolling, no dissipative rolling resistance. Compare speeds after equal vertical drops.

  1. A23\frac2{\sqrt3}
  2. B11
  3. C32\frac{\sqrt3}{2}
  4. D2\sqrt2

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