A disk and a hollow spherical shell, like a basketball, are released at the same time at the top of an inclined plane. The spherical shell has a mass M and a radius R; the disk has a mass 2M and a radius 2R.
If the two objects are released at rest, and the height of the ramp is = 0.73m , find the speed of the disk and the spherical shell when they reach the bottom of the ramp.
1 answer
Mass and radius do not matter but the way the mass is distributed (body shape and hollowness) does. Be sure to consider the rotational kinetic energy and moment of inertia when you apply conservation of energy to get the answer.