Rolling Resistance

When a solid cylinder rolls steadily on a rigid surface, the normal force applied by the surface on the cylinder is perpendicular to the tangent at the contact point. However, since no materials are entirely rigid, the surface's reaction to the cylinder involves a range of normal pressures.

For instance, imagine a hard cylinder rolling on...

Consider a tire rolling at a constant speed. Forces acting on it are its weight and the normal force.

The contact surfaces deform, creating a finite contact area. This results in a distribution of normal forces at each contact point.

The front section of this area experiences deformation, which retards the rolling motion.

In...