A hollow sphere and a solid sphere each made from the same material and having equal maximum radius are rolled from rest (without slipping) the same distance down an inclined plane. The travel time of the hollow sphere is
A) smaller than the travel time of the solid sphere.
B) larger than the travel time of the solid sphere.
C) the same as the travel time of the solid sphere.
D) unknown; more information is needed to work out the answer.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The moment of inertia of a hollow sphere is larger than that of a solid sphere, which means it will accelerate more slowly down the incline due to its distribution of mass. This results in a larger travel time for the hollow sphere compared to the solid sphere when rolling down an inclined plane without slipping.

A Hollow Sphere and a Solid Sphere Each Made from the Same