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Circular Motion Problems and Solutions

This document contains 10 problems related to circular motion. The problems involve calculating centripetal acceleration, speed, radius, period, force, and tension given variables like radius of circular path, speed, mass, time to complete a revolution, and length of objects moving in circular paths. Sample calculations are provided for problems 1-10 with the key variables of centripetal acceleration, speed, radius, period, force, and tension.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
46 views2 pages

Circular Motion Problems and Solutions

This document contains 10 problems related to circular motion. The problems involve calculating centripetal acceleration, speed, radius, period, force, and tension given variables like radius of circular path, speed, mass, time to complete a revolution, and length of objects moving in circular paths. Sample calculations are provided for problems 1-10 with the key variables of centripetal acceleration, speed, radius, period, force, and tension.
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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Physics 122

Chapter 11 – Projectile and Circular Motion


Problems – Circular Motion

1. An electric train moving at constant speed on a circular track of radius 1.0 m


goes around the track every 10 s. What is the centripetal acceleration of the
train?

2. A plane flying at a constant speed in a circular path of radius 5500 m completes


one revolution every 485 s.
a) What is the speed of the plane?
b) What is the acceleration of the plane?

3. A stone attached to a string 2.0 m long is whirled in a horizontal circle. At what


speed must the stone move for its centripetal acceleration to equal to g?

4. The blade of a fan is 0.20 m long and makes 20 revolutions per second. What
acceleration is experienced by a particle at the end of the blade?

5. An electron moves in a circular path of radius 0.20 m at a constant speed of


2.0 x 106 m/s.
a) What is the period of its motion?
b) What is its centripetal acceleration?

6. An object moving a long a circular path at a constant speed of 8.0 m/s completes
one trip around the circle in 5.0 s.
a) What is the radius of the circle?
b) What is the acceleration of the object?

7. A student attaches a mass of 0.5 kg to one end of a rope. The student then
swings the mass in a horizontal circle having a radius of 1 m so that the
tangential speed is 4 m/s. What centripetal force must be exerted on the mass to
keep it moving in a circle?

8. An artificial satellite has a period of 5.6 x 103 s and an orbital radius of


6.8 x 106 m. If its mass is 2.0 x 103 kg, what is the centripetal force keeping it in
orbit?

9. If a 620 kg racecar takes 15.2 s to travel at constant speed once around a circular
race track of 50.0 m radius, what are the centripetal acceleration of the car and
centripetal force exerted by the track on the car’s tires?

10. A knight holds a 1.6 m chain attached to 10.0 kg mace. He whirls the mace in a
circle. If the mace has a frequency of 0.20 Hz, what is the centripetal
acceleration of the mace and the tension in the chain?
Answers

1. The centripetal acceleration of the train is 0.39 m/s2.


2. a) The speed of the plane is 71.2 m/s.
b)The acceleration of the plane is 0.922 m/s2.
3. Its speed must be 4.4 m/s.
[Link] particle experiences an acceleration of 3.2 x 103 m/s2.
5. a) The period is 6.3 x 10-7 s.
b) The centripetal acceleration is 2.0 x 1013 m/s2.
6.a)The radius of the circle was 6.4 m.
b)The acceleration of the object is 10 m/s2.
7. The centripetal force is 8 N.
8. The centripetal force is 1.7 x 104 N.
9. The centripetal acceleration and centripetal force are 8.53 m/s2 and 5.29 x 103 N
[Link] centripetal acceleration is 2.5 m/s2 and the tension in the chain is 25 N.

Common questions

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Conceptually, centripetal acceleration is similar in both a plane flying in a circular path and an electron moving in a magnetic field as both are dictated by the necessity of a net inward force maintaining circular trajectories. Operational differences arise from the force sources: aerodynamic lift and thrust manage the plane's path, while the magnetic force governs the electron’s motion. These forces interacting via electromagnetism for the electron particularly underline how distinct setup conditions necessitate adapted theoretical and practical constructs.

Increasing the frequency of rotation increases the tension in the chain because the centripetal force required to maintain the circular motion is proportional to the square of the frequency. As frequency increases, tangential speed also increases (v = 2πr*f), thus increasing the centripetal force (F_c = m*v^2/r) required to keep the mass in motion, and thereby increasing the tension in the chain.

The centripetal force requirements for a racecar versus an artificial satellite differ primarily due to gravity and speed. A racecar on a track relies on friction between its tires and the surface to supply the centripetal force needed for turns, with considerations such as mass, speed, and track radius directly impacting force calculations (F_c = m*v^2/r). For satellites, gravity functions as the centripetal force necessary to maintain orbit, dictated by mass, orbital speed, and altitude (object's separation from the Earth's center). The satellite's combination of kinetic and potential energy must balance centripetal needs without additional frictional forces to counteract velocity like the racecar.

The period of revolution influences the centripetal force because it impacts the tangential speed of the satellite. For a given orbital radius, if the period increases, the speed decreases, resulting in less centripetal force needed due to the relationship F_c = (m*v^2)/r. Conversely, a shorter period implies a higher speed and thus a greater centripetal force to keep the satellite in its circular path. This shows how dynamic orbital constraints are contingent upon time metrics.

The frequency of circular motion relates directly to centripetal acceleration. With frequency (f), the relationship can be expressed by the formula a_c = (4π^2*r*f^2), indicating centripetal acceleration is proportional to the square of the frequency. Thus, higher frequencies necessitate greater centripetal accelerations as objects complete more cycles per unit time, reflecting how time-related motion characteristics affect acceleration demands.

As the speed of an object increases while maintaining circular motion, the required centripetal force also increases, since F_c = m*v^2/r. The tension in the string acts as the source of this centripetal force. Therefore, to sustain motion and prevent the string from breaking, the tension must increase proportionally to the square of the speed increase. This necessity highlights the intensity of dynamic forces mediated by circular constraints.

The centripetal force required for an object to maintain circular motion depends on three factors: the mass of the object (m), the square of its tangential velocity (v^2), and the radius of the circular path (r). This relationship is expressed by the formula F_c = (m*v^2)/r, indicating that increases in mass or speed increase the required centripetal force, while an increase in the radius decreases it.

At constant speed, increasing the radius of a circular path decreases the centripetal acceleration, as this acceleration (a_c = v^2/r) is inversely proportional to the radius. Conversely, decreasing the radius increases the centripetal acceleration. This relationship implies that tighter turns (smaller radius) require greater acceleration to maintain the same speed, reflecting the dynamics between motion constraints and spatial parameters.

Designing safe amusement park rides requires carefully balancing centripetal force and rider comfort. Engineers must ensure that the centripetal acceleration experienced remains within thresholds that the human body can tolerate to avoid discomfort or injury, thus dictating ride speed, radius of motion, and structural support design. Safety harnesses and structural integrity work together to prevent excessive force application beyond physiological limits, accommodating the high accelerations inherent to thrilling rides while ensuring patrons remain safely situated within their seats.

The centripetal acceleration (a_c) of an object in circular motion is calculated using the formula a_c = v^2 / r, where v is the tangential speed of the object and r is the radius of the circular path it follows. This formula stems from the definition of centripetal force, which maintains circular motion by constantly changing the direction of the object’s velocity, thus keeping it in a circular path.

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