Assignment on Rigid Body Kinematics

1) A uniform disk rotates about a fixed axis starting from rest and accelerating with constant angular
acceleration. At one time it is rotating at 10 rev/s. After completing 62.5 more complete revolutions its
angular speed is 15 rev/s. Calculate

a) the angular acceleration

b) the time required to complete the 60 revolutions mentioned
c) the time required to attain the 10 rev/s angular speed
d) the number of revolutions from rest until the time the disk attained the 10 rev/s angular speed

2) A rigid body, starting from rest, rotates about a fixed axis with constant angular acceleration α.
Consider a particle a distance r from the axis. Express

a) the radial acceleration and

b) the tangential acceleration of this particle in terms of α, r and the time t
0
c) If the resultant acceleration of this particle at some instant makes an angle of 60 with the
tangential acceleration, what angle has the body turned through to that instant?

3) A wheel A of radius ra=10 cm is coupled by a belt B to wheel C of

B
radius rc=25 cm as shown. Wheel A increases its angular speed from
2 A C
rest at uniform rate of rad/s . Determine time for wheel C to reach
rotational speed of100 rev/min. Assume that the belt does not slip.

4) If a car's speedometer is set to read at a speed proportional to the rotational speed of its rear wheels,
is it necessary to correct its reading when radial tires replace regular ones? Radial tires are smaller
and flatter.

5) A ball is whirled in a circle by attaching it to a fixed point with a string. Is there an angular rotation of
the ball about its centre? If yes, is this angular velocity equal to the angular velocity of the ball about
the fixed point?

6) A sphere rolls on a horizontal surface. Is there any point of the sphere which has a vertical velocity?

7) A plank is moving on a smooth horizontal surface with constant velocity of 5 m/s.

A disc of radius 10 cm is rolling without slipping on the plank with constant
velocity of 10 m/s, with respect to the plank. In one case it is moving in the same
direction as the plank, in the other, opposite to the plank. Find the angular
velocity of the disc in both the cases.
 8) A disc of radius R undergoes a pure rolling motion on a flat surface. At an instant, its angular velocity
is ω and angular acceleration is α, both nonzero. Consider the points A, B, C and D as shown.

a) Is/are there a point(s) among these which has acceleration in the strictly vertical C
direction? ω, α •
b) Is/are there a point(s) among these which cannot have acceleration in the strictly
B• • D
vertical direction?
c) There is a point among these which may or may not have vertical acceleration.
•
Which is it?
A
d) Indicate by arrows the direction of net linear acceleration of these points. Note:
Answers can be different based on certain assumptions!

9) A solid ball has an axel passed along its diameter. The ball can
rotate freely around the axel. The axel in turn is pivoted to a
vertical rod around which it can rotate freely. The rod is fixed to
r
a horizontal table on which the ball also lies. Let the radius of
the ball be r and the distance of the ball’s center from the
vertical rod be R. Let the ball begin to roll (without slipping) on
the table with velocity v. This means that the center of the ball moves in a circle of radius R with
speed v. See figure.

a) Calculate the angular velocity of the ball about the axel. Indicate its direction on the figure shown.
b) Calculate the angular velocity of the axel with respect to the fixed rod. Indicate it direction on the
figure shown.
c) Indicate the direction of the net angular velocity of the ball by adding the above two angular
velocity vectors. What is the significance of this new angular velocity vector?

10) A disc of radius r1 is rolling without slipping on the inside of a fixed hollow cylinder of radius r2
as shown. How many rotations does the disc complete in one revolution? r2

11) Can a body undergoing plane motion have two instantaneous axes of rotation at the same instant?
Explain.

l
12) A rigid rod of length l is moving between two smooth rigid walls. At a certain
u instant, the rod is horizontal and its left end is moving down with speed u. The rod
lies in the plane of the paper. Calculate the speed and direction of motion of the
other end. Can you solve this problem using number of different methods?
θ
13) A cone of height H and half angle α is rolling without slipping on a horizontal
ω
surface, about a vertical axis passing through its apex and normal to the
surface. The angular velocity of revolution of the cone about the axis is ω.
What is the angular velocity with which the cone is rotating about its axis? H
α

14) A plank is pivoted at end to the ground and rests on the surface
of a bobbin (dumbbell like object) of inner radius and outer radius
. A thread wound on the inner cylinder of a bobbin has its free
end pulled with constant horizontal velocity as shown. Assume
pure rolling of the bobbin on the ground. Calculate the angular
velocity of the plank at the instant it makes angle with ground.

15) Two solid bodies rotate about stationary mutually perpendicular intersecting perpendicular axes with
constant angular velocities rad/s and rad/s. Find the angular velocity and angular
acceleration of one body relative to the other.

16) The free end of a thread wound on a bobbin of radius of inner

radius and outer radius is passed around nail hammered into
the wall. The thread is pulled at a constant velocity . Determine
velocity of the center of the bobbin at the instant when the thread
forms angle with the vertical. Assume pure rolling of the bobbin on
the ground.

Problems on Coriolis force (Optional)

17) A horizontal disc rotates with a constant angular velocity rad/s about a vertical axis pasing
through its center. A small body of mass kg moves along a diameter of the disc with velocity
cm/s which constant relative to the disc. Find the force that the disc exerts on the body at the
moment when it is located at the distance cm from the rotation axis.

18) A horizontal smooth rod rotates with a constant angular velocity rad/s about a vertical
axis passing through end . A freely sliding sleeve of mass kg moves along the rod from
point with initial velocity m/s. Find the Coriolis force acting on the sleeve (in the frame of
the disc) at the moment when the sleeve is located at the distance cm from the rotation axis.

19) At the equator a stationary (relative to earth) body falls down from height m. Assuming air
drag to be negligible, find how much off the vertical and in what direction, the body will deviate when it
hits the ground.

20) Determine the period of rotation of the Focault pendulum at latitude

ANSWER KEY

(1) (a) 2π rad/s2 (b) 5 sec (c) 10 sec (d) 314 (2) (a) α2rt2 (b) αr (c) rad

(3) 16.66 sec (7) 100 rad/s in both cases. (8) (a) A (b) B,C (c) D (d) - (9) (a) v/r (b) v/R (c) -

(10) (11) No (12) Zero (13) (14) (15) rad/s, rad/s2.

(16) (17) N approximately (18) N (19) cm approximately to East

(20)