Problem 1

On an inclined plane of 30 a block, mass m2 = 4 kg, is joined by a light cord to a solid

cylinder, mass m1 = 8 kg, radius r = 5 cm (Fig. 1). Find the acceleration if the bodies are
released. The coefficient of friction between the block and the inclined plane = 0.2. Friction
at the bearing and rolling friction are negligible.

m2gsin

m2

m1

m2gcos

F
F
m1gsin

Figure 1

Figure 2

Solution
If the cord is stressed the cylinder and the block are moving with the same acceleration
a. Let F be the tension in the cord, S the frictional force between the cylinder and the inclined
plane (Fig. 2). The angular acceleration of the cylinder is a/r. The net force causing the
acceleration of the block:
m2 a m2 g sin m2 g cos F ,

and the net force causing the acceleration of the cylinder:

m1a m1 g sin S F .

The equation of motion for the rotation of the cylinder:

Sr

a
I .
r

(I is the moment of inertia of the cylinder, Sr is the torque of the frictional force.)
Solving the system of equations we get:

a g

m1 m2 sin m2 cos
m1 m2

I
r2

m1 m2 sin m2 cos
I

I
,
r2
m1 m2 2
r

(1)

(2)

I
I sin

m1 2 cos 2
r
r
.
F m2 g
I
m1 m2 2
r
The moment of inertia of a solid cylinder is I

a g

(3)

m1r 2
. Using the given numerical values:
2

m1 m2 sin m2 cos 0.3317 g 3.25 m s 2

1.5m1 m2
m g m m2 sin m2 cos
S 1 1
13.01 N ,
2
1.5m1 m2
1.5 cos 0.5 sin m1 0.192 N
F m2 g
.
1.5m1 m2

Discussion (See Fig. 3.)

The condition for the system to start moving is a > 0. Inserting a = 0 into (1) we obtain
the limit for angle 1:
tan 1

m2

0.0667 , 1 3.81 .
m1 m2 3

For the cylinder separately 1 0 , and for the block separately 1 tan 1 11.31 .
If the cord is not stretched the bodies move separately. We obtain the limit by inserting
F = 0 into (3):

m r2
tan 2 1 1 3 0.6 , 2 30.96 .
I

The condition for the cylinder to

slip is that the value of S (calculated from
(2) taking the same coefficient of friction)
exceeds the value of m1 g cos . This
gives the same value for 3 as we had for
2. The acceleration of the centers of the
cylinder and the block is the same:
g sin cos , the frictional force at the
bottom of the cylinder is m1 g cos , the
peripheral acceleration of the cylinder is
m r2
1 g cos .
I

r, a
g

F, S (N)

20

2=3

S
10
a

r
F
0

30

60
Figure 3

90