Which will have the greater acceleration rolling down an incline: a hoop or a solid disk?

Explanation:

When an object rolls down an incline, its potential energy is converted into translational and rotational kinetic energy. In the case of a solid disk and a hoop, the solid disk has a greater moment of inertia compared to the hoop.

Moment of inertia is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotational motion. A solid disk has a higher moment of inertia than a hoop because more of its mass is located farther from the rotation axis, making it harder to accelerate.

As a result, the solid disk will have higher rotational kinetic energy and lower translational kinetic energy compared to the hoop. This difference in energy distribution leads to a greater acceleration for the solid disk as it rolls down the incline.

In conclusion, the solid disk's higher moment of inertia allows it to accumulate more rotational kinetic energy, resulting in greater acceleration than the hoop when rolling down an incline.

← Wiring diagram types explained How to calculate distance traveled by a train →