Physics 3210

Spring 2008
Problem Set 10

1. A ladder of length l and mass m (and uniform mass density) stands on

a frictionless floor and leans against a frictionless wall. It is initially held
motionless with its bottom end an infinitesimal distance from the wall. It
is then released, whereupon the bottom end slides away from the wall and
the top end slides down the wall. See the figure below. In this problem
you will find the horizontal component of the velocity of the center of
mass when the ladder loses contact with the wall (which occurs before the
ladder hits the ground).

(a) Show that as long as the ladder is in contact with the wall, the CM
moves in circle of radius r. To do this, write r = l/2 for convenience,
and let be the angle between the wall and the radius from the corner
to the CM. See the figure below. Show (using elementary geometry)
that the line OB equals r (in other words, the median to the hypotenuse of a right triangle has half the length of the hypotenuse),
and that the angle (O AB) equals (so is the angle between the
ladder and the wall).
A
r
O

C
O

To solve the problem, we will assume that the CM always moves in a

circle, and then determine the position at which the horizontal speed
of the CM starts to decrease, that is, the point at which the normal
force from the wall would have to become negative. Since the normal
force cant be negative, this is the point where the ladder loses contact
with the wall.
(b) Show that the potential energy of an arbitrary distribution of mass in
a uniform gravitational field is the same as if the total mass M were
located at the center of mass.
(c) Using conservation of energy, find the speed of the CM as a function
of the angle through which the ladder has fallen.
1

(d) Find the angle m at which the horizontal speed is a maximum. This
is where the ladder loses contact with the wall.
(e) What is the horizontal speed of the CM when it loses contact with
the wall?
2. A ball of mass M collides with a stick of moment of inertia ml2 (relative
to its center, which is its CM; also, for a uniform stick we have = 1/12,
but this is more general). The ball is initially traveling with velocity V0
perpendicular to the stick. The ball strikes the stick at a distance d from
the center in an elastic collision (i.e., kinetic energy is conserved). See the
figure below. Find the resulting translational and rotational speeds of the
stick, and also the resulting speed of the ball (all in terms of the initial
parameters). [Hint : The ball doesnt change direction after the collision.
m, l

}d

M V0

I = ml2

Let V , v and be the speed of the ball, the speed of the sticks CM,
and the angular speed of the stick, respectively, after the collision. Use
conservation of momentum, angular momentum (around the stick CM),
and energy.]
3. A ball of radius R and mass m initially slides without rolling on a horizontal surface with friction. The initial speed of the ball is V0 , and the
moment of inertia about its center is I = mR2 . (Recall also that the
force of friction is given by a coefficient of friction times the normal force
acting on the object.)
V0
R

(a) Without knowing anything about the nature of the friction force Ff ,
find the speed of the ball when it begins to roll without slipping. (Be
careful with the signs. If the positive x-direction is taken to the right,
then Ff is negative, as is the acceleration a. Also take the angle of
rotation to be positive in the clockwise direction.) (Note that the ball
undergoes a continuous transition from sliding with no rolling to all
rolling and no sliding. The interesting thing about this result is that

it is independent of the nature of Ff it may depend on position,

time, speed or anything else.)
(b) Find the kinetic energy lost while sliding.
(c) Now consider the special case where the coefficient of kinetic friction
is independent of position. At what time t, and at what distance d,
does the ball begin to roll without slipping?
(d) Under the same conditions as in part (c), verify that the work done
by friction equals the energy loss calculated in part (b). [Hint : This is
a little bit subtle. The friction force does not work over the distance
d calculated in part (c). Rather, Ff acts over the distance that the
surface
of the ball moves relative to the horizontal surface (i.e., work =
R
Ff dr). This is because of the continuous transition from all sliding
to all rolling. Think about it.]
4. A rotation in the xy-plane by an angle transforms the coordinates according to
  
 
x
cos sin
x
=
.
y
sin cos
y
Use this to show that if a flat, planar object in the xy-plane has a symmetry
under a rotation by an angle 6= , then all axes through the origin in the
plane are principal axes. [Hint : Look at the general form of (Iij ) in terms
of the coordinates x, y. What does the fact that the axes are principal tell

you about the entries in I? What does (Iij

) look like if the coordinates

x , y are written in terms of x, y? Now what does the fact that the object

is symmetric under rotation by tell you about the Iij s and Iij
s?]
5. A flat, uniform rectangle with sides of length a and b sits in space without
rotating. You strike the corners at the ends of one diagonal, with equal
and opposite forces. See the figure below. Show that the resulting initial
points along the other diagonal.
out of page

F
b
a

F
into page

6. A uniform stick of mass m and length l spins with frequency around

an axis as shown below. The stick makes an angle with the axis and is
pivoted at its center. It is kept in this motion by two strings which are
perpendicular to the axis. What is the tension in the strings? [Hint : Find
the principle axes, and write in terms of its components along these

string

string

axes. Then use L = I . What is dL/dt? Compare this with a direct

calculation of N = r F.]
7. At what height h should one horizontally strike a billiard ball of mass m
and radius a so that it initially rolls without slipping?
F
h

m
a