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Physics Rotational Mechanics Level: High School

A tennis ball is a hollow sphere with a thin wall . It is set rolling without slipping at 4.03 m/s on a horizontal section of track , as shown in the figure at “click here”. It rolls around the inside of a vertical circular loop 90.0 cm in diameter and finally leaves the track at a point 20.0 cm below the horizontal section .

(a) Find the speed of the ball at the top of the loop . Demonstrate that it will not fall from the track .

(b) Find its speed as it leaves the track .

(c) Suppose that static friction between the ball and track were negligible , so that the ball slid rather instead of rolling . Would its speed then be higher , lower , or same at the top of the loop ?