Try to predict which object will make it first to the bottom of the ramp and why. Consider the following three objects, each of the same mass and radius:
(1) a solid sphere (2) a solid disk (3) a hoop
All three are released from rest at the top of an inclined plane. The three objects proceed down the incline undergoing rolling motion without slipping. In which order do the objects reach the bottom of the incline? Explain using the definition of rotational inertia:
I = ∑ mri²
where ri is the distance from the mass m to the center (axis) of rotation.