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A point mass m starts from rest and slid...

A point mass `m` starts from rest and slides down the surface of a frictionless hemisphere of radius r as shown figure. Measure angle from the vertical and potential energy from the top. Find
a. Find the changes in potential energy of the mass with angle
b. Find the kinetic energy as a function of angle
c. Find the radial and tangential acceleration as a function of angle
d. Find the angle at which the mass files off the hemisphere
e. If there is friction between the mass and hemisphere, does the mass fly off at a greater or lesser angle than in part (d) ?

Text Solution

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a. As the particle is moving down w.r.t. earth, hence, the potential energy of the particle will decrease.
Change in potential energy,
`DeltaU=U_(theta)-U_0=-mgr(1-costheta)` (i)
b. The force acting on the point mass are a conservative force `mg` and a non-conservative force N. Here `W_N=0` because all along the motion from the `theta=0` to `theta=theta`, the velocity of the mass is perpendicular to N. Consequently, the mechanical energy of m remains constant.

`DeltaK+DeltaU=0`
`(K_theta-K_0)+DeltaU=0`
`K_theta=K_0-DeltaU`
`=0-[-mgr(1-costheta)]`
`=mgr(1-costheta)` (ii)
c. Figure shows the free body diagram of m at `theta`. The radial acceleration of m at this position

`a_r=(v_theta^2)/(r)`.
`=(2gr(1-costheta))/(r)=a_r=2g(1-costheta)`
Force equation for m in the tangential direction is
`mg sin theta=ma_tauimpliesa_t=g sin theta`
d. Angle at which the mass flies off the sphere:
Force equation in the radial direction,
`mgcostheta-N=(mv^2)/(r)` (iii)
As the masss slide, down the sphere, its speed increases. So the right hand slide of the equation (iii), `mv^2//r`, increases with increasing `theta`. Also `mg cos theta` decreases as `theta` increases,
(for `0ltthetaltpi//2`, `cos theta` decreases as `theta` increases).
N must decrease with increasing `theta`. The angle at which `Nrarr0`, the mass loses contact with the sphere, it flies off it. Let this happen when `thetararralpha`. At `thetararralpha`. `Nrarr0`, `vrarrv_alpha`.
Under this limiting condition, equation (iii) reduces to
`impliesmg cos alpha-0=(mv_alpha^2)/(r)` (iv)
Conservation of mechanical energy between `theta=0` and `theta=alpha` gives, `DeltaK+DeltaU=0`
`implies[1/2mv_alpha^2-0]+[-mgr(1-cosalpha)]=0` (v)
From equation (iv) and (v),
`implies(((mv_alpha^2)/(r)))/((1/2mv_alpha^2))=(mgcosalpha)/(mgr(1-cosalpha))`
`implies((1/r))/((1/2))=(cosalpha)/(r(1-cosalpha))`
`implies2=(cosalpha)/(1-cosalpha)`
`implies2-2cos alpha=cos alpha`
`cos alpha=2/3impliesalpha=cos^-1(2/3)`
e. If friction is present, the speed at `theta=alpha` will be less than `v_alpha` defined in part (d), and `mg=cosalpha=mv^2//r` will not be satisfied. In fact, then `mgcosalphagtmv^2//r` as `vltv_alpha` and, cosequently, Newton's second law of motion will demand that.
`N=mg cos alpha-(mv^2)/(r)impliesNgt0`
For N to vanish, both `theta` and v must increase a little more.
Therefore with friction present, the mass fly off the sphere at a greater angle than in part(d).
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