Motion of a cylinder on a moving platform

Kostas Papamichalis Dr. of Theoretical Physics

Theoretical analysis of the simulation - Activities (pdf-file, greek version)

Description of the device

The platform interacts with the cylinder by contact-forces obeying the 3d Newton Law. The maximum static-friction equals the slide-friction. The value of the maximum static-friction coefficient is chosen by the user. The horizontal surface on which the platform is moving is friction-free. Accordingly, the forces developed between the cylinder and the horizontal surface when in contact, are perpendicular to the tangents of the surfaces at their common point.

On the platform we apply a horizontal external force; its magnitude is chosen by the user. When the cylinder is detached from the platform the total force applied on the platform changes. The cylinder's angular velocity is getting constant. The cylinder is fallen freely towards the horizontal surface. The collision of the cylinder with the horizontal surface is elastic.

The first graph depicts the change of the cylinder and the platform x-velocities as functions of the time. The second represents the change with time of the cylinder's angular velocity.

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