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Whatroledoesstaticfrictionforceplayforarollingobject?HowcanIknowwhatdirectionit
points?
Fundamentally,whatdoesafrictionforcedoforarollingobject?Iamveryconfusedbythewaymytextbookexplainsit.Inmytextbook,itsays:
Awheelrollingonahorizontalflatsurfaceataconstantvelocityexperiencesnofrictionforce.Why?
Onthesamesurface,thereisanaccelerationofthewheelpointingtotheright(probablycausedbyaforce),sotheballisangularly
acceleratingintheclockwisedirection.Inthiscase,africtionforceappears,anditisalsopointingtotheright.Howcome?Whatdoesthe
frictiondoforthiswheel?
Onaninclinedplane,aballfreelyrollsdownthesurface.Thedirectionoffrictionisuptheramp,whichconfusesmebecauseintheprevious
examplethefrictionforcewasinthedirectionofthewheel'sacceleration.
Andthereisadifferenceifawheelisfreelyrollingandifthereisatorqueactingontheball'scenterofmass.WHY???
Whatdoesfrictiondointhesecases?Howdoesitcauseanobjecttoroll?
forces

friction

askedJan11at18:37
RichardSong
6
1

Staticfriction,asitactsinrollingwithoutslipping. RichardSong Jan11at18:41

Andstaticfrictionsupposedlypreventsthewheelfromsliding,right? RichardSong Jan11at18:46
ThenhowdoIknowwhichwaysomethingwouldslide?HowdoIknowwhichwayawheelWOULDslide?
RichardSong Jan11at18:58
Related:physics.stackexchange.com/questions/7657/dmckee Jan11at22:25

2Answers
Hopefullythiswillansweratleastsomeofyourquestions.Ifyouconsideraballintiallyatrestona
frictionlesssurface,ifaforceisexertedthroughthecentreofmassoftheballitwillslideacrossthe
surfacewithnorotation,therewillonlybetranslationalmotion.
Ifyouconsiderthecasewherethereisfriction,iftheforceisagainappliedtoastationaryballthe
frictionalforcewillactintheoppositedirectiontotheforcebutattheedgeoftheballthatrestson
theground.Thisfrictionappliesatorquetotheballwhichstartstherotation.Sostaticfrictionis
infactnecessaryforaballtobeginrolling.
Theconditionforrollingatspeedv isthattheangularvelocityoftheballisgivenby
v = r

fromthisthetopoftheballwillmoveatspeed2v thecentreofmassoftheballwillmoveatv and

thebottomedgeoftheballwillinstantaneouslybeatrest.Soastheedgetouchingthegroundis
stationaryitexperiencesnofriction.
Sofrictionisnecessaryforaballtostartrollingbutoncetherollingconditionhasbeenmettheball
experiencesnofriction.
answeredJan11at19:03
Chris2807
770
1 1 16

Thankyouforyourexplanations.Ihaveconcludedthefollowing:pleasecorrectmeifIamwrong.
RichardSong Jan11at19:59

Ifaballhasaforceactingthroughitscenterofmass(andthereforenotorqueisgeneratedbythatforce),withno
frictionitwilljustslideforward.Iftheforceactedtowardstheright,thentherewouldbeafrictionforceacting
towardstheleft,thusgeneratingatorqueaboutthecenterofmass. RichardSong Jan11at20:02

InregardtoChris2807'sanswer,Ihaveaquestion:Ifaballisrollingdownthehillonitsown,thereisacontinual
componentofgravitationalforcethatpullsitdowntheincline.Sincethisforceproducesnotorqueaboutthecenter
ofmass,Ihaveconcludedthatafrictionalforcemustbeexertedonthecontactpointatalltimeswhentheball
slidesdowntheincline,orelseitwouldslide.Whatdoyoumeanbythefactthatoncetherollingconditionismet
theballexperiencesnofriction? RichardSong Jan11at20:17

1 Nice.Youcanalsotaketheoppositeapproach:considerwhathappensifanexternalcouple(puretorque)is

help

suppliedaroundahorizontalaxis.Withoutfrictiontheballspinsinplace,butwithfrictiontheballappliesaforceto
thegroundandthereactionforcebothcancelsmuchoftheappliedcoupleandcausestheballtobegin
translationalmotion.dmckee Jan11at22:23

@dmckee+1forthatcomment,prettycooleffect.Acoolexampleofthisisprofessionaltenpinbowlers,they
producelotsofsidespinontheballwhichhasnoeffect(astheboardsareverypolishedandhavelittlefrictionwith
theball)untilthelastfewfeetwheretheyarelesswellpolishedandtheballmoveslaterally.Havealookatthis
youtube.com/watch?v=NiBXo2KjdBAChris2807Jan11at23:06

1. Ifthewheelisrollingatconstantvelocitywithoutanyotherforcesacting,thenthereisno
tendencyforslippagebetweenthewheelandthesurface,sothereisnofriction.Frictionwill
onlyacttotrytopreventslippagebetween2surfaces.
2. Presumablyinthiscasethereisatorqueactingontheaxisoftheball/wheel?Thistorquewill
acttogiveangularaccelerationtothewheel(clockwise).Iftherewasnofrictionthenthe
angularvelocitywouldincreaseandtherewouldbeslippagebetweenthewheelandthe
surface.However,frictionexistsandwilltrytopreventtheslippage,whichiswhyitactstothe
right.Intryingtopreventthisslippage,thefrictionalsoexertsahorizontallinearforceonthe
wheel,givingitaccelerationtotheright,soitspeedsup.Thisishowacaraccelerates
horizontally,usingfrictionbetweenthewheelsandtheroad.
3. Ontheinclinedplane,theballwilltendtoslidedownwardsandiftherewasnofrictionthen
againtherewouldbeslippagebetweentheballandtheinclinedsurface.Perhapsthebestway
tothinkaboutitis:"Whichwayisslippagegoingtooccuriftherewasnofriction?"Frictionwill
alwaystrytocounteractslippage,sohereitactsuptheslopetotrytopreventtheballslipping
downtheslope.Thishastheeffectofapplyingamomenttotheball,whichwillcauseittostart
rolling.
answeredJan11at19:09
Time4Tea
903
1 16

Sowhatifthereisaforcethatcausesnotorqueandaforcethatcausestorquethatactonawheel.Soforexample,
oneforceactsonthecenterofmasswhileanotheractsonthetopofthewheel.Thewheelisonaflatsurface.Does
thewheelneedfrictiontoroll? RichardSong Jan11at21:29
Fortheforcethroughthecenter,thewheelwillneedfrictiontostartrolling,otherwiseitwilljustslidehorizontally.For
theforceonthetop,ifthereisnofrictionthenthewheelwillstartbothmovinglaterallyandrotating.Thesubsequent
motionwilldependonhowtheforcebehavesasthewheelturnswhetheritturnswiththewheelorstayspointing
horizontally(Iassumeitactsatthesamepoint).Time4TeaJan11at21:56