Two identical balls roll across the top of a table on parallel paths. One of the balls has to roll down into and up out of a dip in the table. The other ball rolls on the flat all the time. Which ball gets to the far side of the table first, and why?.

I have assumed the ball rolling into and up out of a dip on the table will travel at the same average speed as the other ball rolling flat. The only difference, then, between the two rolling balls is the distance travelled. Because of having to travel the fall and rise of the dip, the 'first' ball must traverse a greater distance, and, thus, the 'second' ball, travelling the flat, reaches the far side of the table first.

Posted by Dej Mar on 2009-11-05 02:21:29