Published by:
CGP EDU Academic Team
Published on: September 12, 2026
A tube in the shape of a rhombus with rounded corners is placed in a vertical plane as shown in fig. A ball is allowed to roll inside the tube along sides AB and BC, and then allowed to roll along sides AD and DC. In which will it roll faster? The length of the rhombus’s side is A.

Text Solution
Verified by ExpertsThe correct answer is:
B
Step 1: Understand that a ball rolling inside a tube follows the principles of dynamics and kinematics.
Step 2: The ball first rolls from A to B and then from B to C, and similarly from A to D and D to C.
Step 3: The distance between points A and C is the same irrespective of the path taken (AB + BC = AD + DC). However, the inclination and curvature of the path impact the acceleration of the ball.
Step 4: When the ball rolls along the sides AB and BC, it experiences a more gradual incline and smoother transition, while rolling along sides AD and DC may involve changing directions more sharply.
Step 5: Given these conditions, the rolling friction and centripetal forces would affect the speed more significantly along AD and DC.
Step 6: Therefore, the ball will roll faster along AD and DC because of a lesser overall frictional effect and more effective gravitational acceleration leveraging the tube's depth.
Thus, the answer is B.
Step 2: The ball first rolls from A to B and then from B to C, and similarly from A to D and D to C.
Step 3: The distance between points A and C is the same irrespective of the path taken (AB + BC = AD + DC). However, the inclination and curvature of the path impact the acceleration of the ball.
Step 4: When the ball rolls along the sides AB and BC, it experiences a more gradual incline and smoother transition, while rolling along sides AD and DC may involve changing directions more sharply.
Step 5: Given these conditions, the rolling friction and centripetal forces would affect the speed more significantly along AD and DC.
Step 6: Therefore, the ball will roll faster along AD and DC because of a lesser overall frictional effect and more effective gravitational acceleration leveraging the tube's depth.
Thus, the answer is B.
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