To illustrate the problem studied in this paper, we will use a scenario in which five rigid disks move in a race on an inclined plane. First, they slip and, after a particular time, they only roll. The friction forces between each disk and the plane are distinct, and their values increase from disk 1 to disk 5. In this situation, how long does a disk take to enter a pure rolling motion? What are the requirements for this motion transition to occur? Which disk will have more energy when reaching the finishing line if they all arrive without slipping (i.e., pure rolling)? Most undergraduates, even some physics teachers, would indicate disk 1. However, the result may surprise them.
Although the rolling motion seems to be a simple and sufficiently explored topic, several analyses may still be developed on it. For this reason, in addition to textbook approaches, different works...
