Rolling Down an Incline Lab AP Physics C Name: ______________________________________________

Introduction

This activity is another Tracker video analysis lab in which students analyze the motion of both a hoop and a solid disk
rolling down an incline plane. They should see the difference in the speed at which the two objects roll down the incline
and use the motion of the objects to determine the moment of inertias of each object.

Procedure

1. Open the Tracker program and import the “hoop and disk” video.

2. Set up the calibration stick using the disk or the hoop in the frame of the video. They have a diameter of 15 cm.

3. Set up the origins so the x axis is parallel to the incline plane and record the angle of the incline plane.

4. Find the time in the video when the hoop and the disk has just been released and “track new point mass.”

5. Shift-click on the front of the hoop or disk as it travels down the ramp frame by frame.

6. Track another new point mass and track the remaining object so you end up with two motion graphs to analyze.

Analysis

1. Make a sketch of the two graphs below showing just a few key numbers.

2. Write the equation of best fit for position vs. time for each object that you determine using tracker. Use the equation
to determine the acceleration of each object.
3. Draw a free body diagram for the hoop and the disk.

4. Write both a net force and net torque equation for each object and derive equations for the acceleration of each.

5. Plug in the angle of incline to determine the theoretical acceleration of each object.

6. Determine the percent error for the acceleration of each object.

7. Which object had a greater acceleration? Why?

8. Describe the energy transformations that occur as an object rolls down a ramp.

9. A hollow sphere rolls down a ramp that is 5 m long and at an angle of 30 degrees. What is the speed of the sphere
when it reaches the bottom of the ramp? Solve the problem two ways.