Rethinking the classical mechanics (washing machine barrel motion), Part #3 of 10

To make one more step closer to the orbital mechanics analysis, let’s consider the following situation - the cotton clothing rotates in the washing machine steel
barrel. Now, figure out what causes a pressure between the cotton clothing and the barrel internal surface at the very top of the uniform vertical circular motion at
high speeds.
The higher magnitude of the angular velocity of the system “clothing-barrel” becomes the larger pressure between the clothing and the barrel internal surface
becomes. In according to the classical mechanics, the clothing and the barrel have the same velocity (magnitude, horizontal direction) and the same centripetal
acceleration (magnitude, vertical direction) during an infinitesimal moment at the very top point of the uniform vertical circular motion.
In according to the classical mechanics (Newton’s third law), there must be some force which acts against the normal force that is exerted on the clothing by the
barrel internal surface at the very top point if there is a large pressure. The only thing (from the clothing side) which could be figured out to be responsible for
creating the pressure between the clothing and the barrel internal surface is the inertia of the clothing because there is no any force opposite to the normal and
gravitational forces. However, the inertia of the clothing cannot be more than 𝑚 ∗ 𝑟 2 based on the formula 𝐼 = 𝑚 ∗ 𝑟 2 (vertical component of inertia), by the
way, it does not depend on speed! Notice that the vertical and horizontal components of forces, velocities, accelerations are considered independently of each
other, i.e. the vertical and horizontal components of the net force are defined separately.
The uniform vertical circular motion (counter-clockwise)
Velocity of the barrel
Velocity of the clothing The very top point of the uniform vertical circular motion

Gravitational force Normal force exerted on the clothing by the barrel

Accelerations of the clothing and the barrel are the same at the very top point

Washing machine barrel

Page 1
Now, let’s consider the first possible contradiction. If Newton’s third law is applied to the system “clothing-barrel” at the very top point of the uniform vertical
circular motion when there is the pressure between the clothing and the barrel, the following has to be true (absolute values in the vertical direction):

+𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑙 = | − 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑙 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 |

hence:

+𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑙 − −𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑙 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 =0

In according to the classical mechanics, Net Force in the vertical direction for the system “clothing-barrel” at the very top point of the uniform vertical circular
motion is defined as:

𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝑚 ∗ 𝑎 = 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 + 𝑚 ∗ 𝑔 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

So if Normal force is a force exerted on the clothing by the barrel, then what is a force exerted on the barrel by the clothing in the last
formula for Net Force in the vertical direction?
Remind that some force exerted on the barrel by the clothing has to take place in according to Newton’s third law because the inertia of the
clothing is not enough to support a large pressure between the clothing and the barrel internal surface.

Page 2
To better understand the situation described on the previous page, let’s consider a system “mass-table” (diagram on page #4). There is some mass (a brick, a book,
a piece of metal etc.) put on a table top. In according to the classical mechanics, Net Force for the system “mass-table” is defined as:

𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 − 𝑚 ∗ 𝑔 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

where Normal force is a force exerted on the mass (brick) by the table and 𝑚 ∗ 𝑔 is a force exerted on the table by the mass (brick).

As you can see, this formula for Net Force in the vertical direction is pretty nicely agreed with Newton’s third law, that is, there are Normal force and a force
opposite to it. Excellently!
However, if analyze the formula of Net Force (vertical direction) for the system “clothing-barrel” at the very top point of the uniform vertical circular motion,
then there is no any force opposite to Normal force exerted on the clothing by the barrel but there is a large pressure:

𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 + 𝑚 ∗ 𝑔 , 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔

In this way, the following questions appear:

1. Why there is no any force opposite to Normal force in the formula of Net Force for the system “clothing-barrel” at the very top point of the uniform vertical
circular motion if there is a large pressure between the clothing and the barrel internal surface?

2. How can the pressure between the clothing and the barrel internal surface significantly increase at the very top point of the uniform vertical circular
motion if there is no any force exerted on the clothing vertically upwards and opposite to Normal force that is exerted on the clothing by the barrel
vertically downwards at the very top point of the motion?

3. Does the formula of Net Force for the system “clothing-barrel” at the very top point of the uniform vertical circular motion violate Newton’s third law when
there is a large pressure between the clothing and the barrel internal surface?

Note: the clothing is mostly made of cotton and the barrel is made of the stainless steel

Page 3
In according to the classical mechanics, the normal force must be equal to the gravitational force if the brick does not move at the vertical direction

Normal
force
BRICK

Gravitational
force

Page 4
 Analysis of the rotational process in washing machines at point A (uniform vertical circular motion)
Let’s omit to analyze horizontal and vertical momentums, impulses at the left upper quarter for now. But, it appears that the classical mechanics does not contain
any force opposite to Normal force and the gravitational force exerted on the clothing in the formula for Net Force at the very top point (point A) of the uniform
vertical circular motion when there is a large pressure at point A :

𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 + 𝑚 ∗ 𝑔

Absence of such an opposite force violates Newton’s third law because there is a large pressure between the clothing and the barrel at high speeds. Therefore,
there must be a force opposite to Normal force and the gravitational force in order to create the pressure at point A because the inertia of the clothing is not
enough to support such a pressure!

A
Green arrows are the vectors of the tangential Note: the vertical components of the barrel

Normal force on the clothing

velocities of the clothing and the barrel (their velocity and the clothing velocity are equal to zero

Accelerations of the barrel and clothing

velocities are the same), blue arrows are the vertical at point A

Gravitational force
and horizontal components of their velocities.

Washing machine barrel

Page 5