The problem is determining the acceleration of a hollow cylinder rolling down an inclined plane without slipping. We know the acceleration of a solid cylinder, which has a mass of 3.2 kg, is \(4 \, \text{ms}^{-2}\). The mass of the hollow cylinder is 1.6 kg. Both cylinders have the same radius.
For a cylinder rolling without slipping, the acceleration \(a\) is determined by the formula:
\(a = \frac{g \cdot \sin(\theta)}{1 + \frac{I}{m r^2}}\)
where \(I\) is the moment of inertia, \(m\) is the mass, and \(r\) is the radius of the cylinder.
- For a solid cylinder, \(I = \frac{1}{2}m r^2\).
- For a hollow cylinder, \(I = m r^2\).
Step 1: Calculate acceleration for a solid cylinder
The known acceleration for the solid cylinder is \(4 \, \text{ms}^{-2}\). Plug into the formula:
\(4 = \frac{g \cdot \sin(\theta)}{1 + \frac{1}{2}}\)
Simplify:
\(4 = \frac{g \cdot \sin(\theta)}{1.5} \Rightarrow g \cdot \sin(\theta) = 6\)
Step 2: Calculate acceleration for the hollow cylinder
Plug this into the formula for the hollow cylinder:
\(a_\text{hollow} = \frac{g \cdot \sin(\theta)}{1 + 1}\)
Given \(g \cdot \sin(\theta) = 6\):
\(a_\text{hollow} = \frac{6}{2} = 3 \, \text{ms}^{-2}\)
Thus, the acceleration of the hollow cylinder is 3 ms\(^{-2}\).