2006-10-13 04:23:10 · 8 answers · asked by Damnit 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
"Why does a bowling ball move without acceleration when it rools along a bowling alley?"
-That's not entirely true. The ball is accelerating...negatively and due to any curve.
It's moving because of inertia. It was propelled by the thrower with a certain amount of force and it is now decellerating due to lack of any additional force being applied and friction.
2006-10-13 05:12:53 · answer #1 · answered by Manny 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i believe though if you put enough spin on the ball that there can be a point where the ball finally "grips" the alley and then speeds up as it overcomes the slipping/spinning. Similar to a car spinning its wheels on ice, even though no acceleration is applied, when the wheels finally grip the road, the car accelerates forward.
The same can be done with billiard balls. If you strike the cue ball above center at a very severe downward angle, the ball will practically spin in place until friction takes over and the ball will accelerate forward from practically zero velocity to final velocity in a short space. The spinning momentum is transferred to forward momentum.
2006-10-13 12:21:58 · answer #2 · answered by mookie3000 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Wrong grasshoppers. The lane does have a tiny incline. If oiled properly, the incline is exactly enough to overcome lane and air friction. Anybody that has ever seen a four year old roll a ball at 1/8 mph and get it to the end of the lane knows this.
2006-10-13 16:59:25 · answer #3 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. The alley deforms under the weight of the ball very slightly and the ball must roll "up" that deformation, so it does have an acceleration acting to slow it down.
2006-10-13 11:45:34 · answer #4 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has a small negative acceleration. i means it slowing down ever so slightly. The thing is that because of the waxing of the floor and the smoothness of the ball it is very slick and doesnot have any friction. Try rolling the ball on grass or concrete ...then you'll see some negative accelaration.
2006-10-13 11:30:35 · answer #5 · answered by nor2006 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The lane is not an inclined plane, which would cause it to accelerate due to gravity. The ball is deccelerating as the original force dissipates through friction and osmosis.
2006-10-13 11:30:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the alley is oiled and it just slides....
2006-10-13 11:30:39 · answer #7 · answered by bink513 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because there is no net force acting on it.
2006-10-13 11:28:46 · answer #8 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋