A uniform sphere is situated on a smooth horizontal surface, and a horizontal force F is exerted on it at a distance h above the surface. The acceleration of the centre

Step-by-step solution

For a sphere placed on a smooth horizontal surface, there is no frictional force acting between the sphere and the surface. The only horizontal force acting on the sphere is the applied force F . By Newton's second law of motion for the center of mass, the net external force is equal to the product of mass and the acceleration of the center of mass. F = Ma a = F M This expression shows that the linear acceleration a of the center of the sphere depends only on the applied force F and the mass M of the sphere. It is