Serway & Jewett — Rotation of a Rigid Object about a Fixed Axis: Problem 20

At a local mine, a cave-in has trapped a number of miners. You and some classmates rush to the scene to see how you can help. The trapped miners have been able to reach a point in the mine at the bottom of a tall vertical shaft to the surface, allowing them access to fresh air. But they are in desperate need of fresh water and bandages for injuries. Some rescue workers ask you to help pack a light plastic cylindrical container with bottles of water and bandages. Simply dropping the container into the shaft risks damaging the container and contents and injuring the miners. Tying a rope to the container and lowering it on the end of the rope takes a long time. A quick and relatively safe method is to wrap a lightweight rope around the container. One end of the rope will be secured and the container will be released into the vertical shaft. The container will unroll off the rope like a falling yo-yo. (a) If immediate access to the lightweight bandages is needed due to injuries, so that you want the container to reach the bottom of the shaft in the shortest possible time interval, should you pack the heavy water bottles at the center of the container or near the outer edges? (b) If the medical necessity is not so urgent and, for safety considerations, you want the container to arrive at the bottom of the shaft with the lowest possible speed, should you pack the heavy water bottles at the center of the container or near the outer edges? Assume that the center of mass of the container is at its center.