Mechanisms Determining the Rolling Motion of Bodies

This thesis explores how mechanisms such as surface roughness affect the free-rolling motion of spheres and cylinders on an inclined plane in a stationary fluid. This is a fundamental problem in fluid mechanics with applications in predicting the motion of sand and rocks in riverbeds, erosion and modelling blood flow inside vessel walls. Using experimental data, it is shown that the resistance to body motion, or the drag, can be predicted using surface roughness. This research improves our understanding of fluid behaviour and our ability to predict how submerged bodies move and roll on inclined surfaces.