Similarities of Translational and Rotational Kinematics

•  In your notebook or on a piece of paper, sketch free-body diagrams for the masses on the hanger and the cart.  (You might need to look again at the experimental setup in the picture in the Overview.)  Friction is negligible at this steep angle. (Do you understand why?)  The acceleration for the cart will be up the slope.

•  Sum the forces in the direction of travel and predict the acceleration based on the mass of the hanger, m_h, the mass of the cart, m_c, gravitational acceleration, g, and the angle of the track up from the horizontal, φ.

•  Write out the equations for translational and rotational kinematics (x(t), θ(t), v(t), and ω(t)).  Also write the equations connecting x and θ, v and ω, and a and α.  The latter are based on the “no-slip” condition that the string will not slip on the pulley (radius r).

•  When you are satisfied, open the worksheet for today and answer Questions 1-3.  Ask your lab instructor if they are correct, then move on to Part II.