Rolling Disk

How this simulation works

Use the Incline Angle slider to tilt the ramp (in degrees), and the Disk Radius slider to set the disk's size (in metres). Press Start to release the disk from the top of the incline, Pause to freeze it partway down, and Reset to return it to the start. The disk rolls without slipping, so its translational and rotational motion are coupled — the faster it spins, the faster it moves forward. Steeper inclines produce higher accelerations, but a rolling disk always accelerates more slowly than a frictionless sliding block.