Q a 24

course phy 121

ʆCϓgႾX雪Xɟzassignment #024

024. Centripetal Acceleration

Physics II

09-30-2008

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22:54:49

`q001. Note that this assignment contains 4 questions.

. Note that this assignment contains 4 questions.

When an object moves a constant speed around a circle a force is necessary to keep changing its direction of motion. This is because any change in the direction of motion entails a change in the velocity of the object. This is because velocity is a vector quantity, and if the direction of a vector changes, then the vector and hence the velocity has changed. The acceleration of an object moving with constant speed v around a circle of radius r has magnitude v^2 / r, and the acceleration is directed toward the center of the circle. This results from a force directed toward the center of the circle. Such a force is called a centripetal (meaning toward the center) force, and the acceleration is called a centripetal acceleration.

If a 12 kg mass travels at three meters/second around a circle of radius five meters, what centripetal force is required?

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RESPONSE -->

F = m* a

a = v^2/r

m = 12kg

v = 3 m/s

r = 5m

F = 12kg ( (3m/s)^2/ 5m)

F = 12kg ( 9m^2/s^2 / 5m)

F = 12kg * 1.8

F = 21.6 N

confidence assessment: 2

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22:55:23

The centripetal acceleration of the object is v^2 / r = (3 meters/second) ^ 2/(5 meters) = 1.8 meters/second ^ 2. The centripetal force, by Newton's Second Law, must therefore be Fcent = 12 kg * 1.8 meters/second ^ 2.

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RESPONSE -->

self critique assessment: 3

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23:01:06

`q002. How fast must a 50 g mass at the end of a string of length 70 cm be spun in a circular path in order to break the string, which has a breaking strength of 25 Newtons?

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RESPONSE -->

m= 50 g = .05kg

r = 70 cm = .7m

v = ?

F > 25N

F = m * (v^2 / r)

25N = .05kg * ( v^2 / .7m)

500 = v^2 / .7m

v^2 = 350

v = 18.71 = 19 m/s

confidence assessment: 2

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23:01:17

The centripetal acceleration as speed v will be v^2 / r, where r = 70 cm = .7 meters. The centripetal force will therefore be m v^2 / r, where m is the 50 g = .05 kg mass. If F stands for the 25 Newton breaking force, then we have

m v^2 / r = F, which we solve for v to obtain

v = `sqrt(F * r / m). Substituting the given values we obtain

v = `sqrt( 25 N * .7 meters / (.05 kg) ) = `sqrt( 25 kg m/s^2 * .7 m / (.05 kg) ) = `sqrt(350 m^2 / s^2) = 18.7 m/s.

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RESPONSE -->

self critique assessment: 3

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23:15:30

`q003. What is the maximum number of times per second the mass in the preceding problem can travel around its circular path before the string breaks?

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RESPONSE -->

v0 = 0 m/s

vf = 18.7 m/s

r = .7m

need to determine diameter, circumference and dt to get to vf

diameter = 2r = 2 (.7) = 1.4m

Circumference = pi * d = 3.14 * 1.4 = 4.396 = 4.4m

a = v^2 /r

a = 18.7m/s / .7 = 26.7 m/s^2

vf = v0 + a * dt

18.7 = 0 + 26.7m/s^2 * dt

dt = .7s

It will take .7 s for the string to break. How many times can it make one rotationof 4.4m in the .7s accelerating at 26.7m/s^2 to a max of 18.7 m/s? Hmmm...

26.7 m/s^2 / 4.4m = 6 times

I think 6 times per second

confidence assessment: 1

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23:17:43

The maximum possible speed of the mass was found in the preceding problem to be 18.7 meters/second. The path of the mass is a circle of radius 70 cm = .7 meters. The distance traveled along this path in a single revolution is 2 `pi r = 2 `pi * .7 meters = 4.4 meters, approximately. At 18.7 meters/second, the mass will travel around the circle 18.7/4.4 = 4.25 times every second.

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RESPONSE -->

But the mass doesn't reach the velocity of 18.7 m/s instantaneously. It will take time to get there and during that time it will not be going at the max velocity. Is my answer to the question correct if you take that into consideration?

self critique assessment: 2

You don't know how long it takes the string to accelerate to the breaking point, so you don't know how many revolutions that made as it approached that point.

The question asked for the maximum number of times per second, which is unrelated to the question of how many times the mass actually went around the circle. When the rotation rate reaches a certain point, the required centripetal acceleration exceeds the strength of the string and the string breaks.

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23:21:57

`q004. Explain in terms of basic intuition why a force is required to keep a mass traveling any circular path.

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RESPONSE -->

If an object is in motion it will stay in motion until a force is acted upon it. But it will stay in the same direction that it is moving - straight. It will only turn, slow down, speed up or stop if a force is applied to it. In this case the force causes it to turn. The force is a vector and has a straight direction.

confidence assessment: 3

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23:32:40

We simply can't change the direction of motion of a massive object without giving it some sort of a push. Without such a force an object in motion will remain in motion along a straight line and with no change in speed.

If your car coasts in a circular path, friction between the tires and the road surface pushes the car toward the center of the circle, allowing it to maintain its circular path. If you try to go too fast, friction won't be strong enough to keep you in the circular path and you will skid out of the circle.

In order to maintain a circular orbit around the Earth, a satellite requires the force of gravity to keep pulling it toward the center of the circle. The satellite must travel at a speed v such that v^2 / r is equal to the acceleration provided by Earth's gravitational field.

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RESPONSE -->

I got that, but I have a question regarding the satellite and gravity. When I picture a circle and a force I kind of picture the airplane and the wind example, where the force is outside of the circle pushing in. But in my mind it isn't actually pusing straight in towards the center, but rather at an angle (I don't know how to explain this adequately in words). If you drew the airplane on the circle at any given point around the circle it would be headed in a straight direction at an angle away from the circle. Like when water droplets fly off if you swing a wet cloth around in a circle. They fly off, not straight out, but at an angle. So, that's the motion of the object, be it plane, satellite, or water drops. The force then, in my mind, is pushing from directly behind that objects path of motion.

The droplets will follow a straight path if there is no force acting on them. No force is required for something to move in a straight line. The force that was formerly causing them to move in a circle was exerted by their contact with the towel; once they lose contact with the towel there is no force to hold them in a circular path and they go off in a straight line. They will of course encounter air resistance, gravitational forces, etc., but in the absence of these forces the path will be straight precisely because there is force acting on them.

The airplane does likely have a forward thrust to maintain its speed against air resistance, but this is not relevant to the circular nature of its motion, which requires a centripetal force (which is perpendicular to the velocity).

If we are talking about gravity, then it is pulling. So I would think that a pulling force would have to be from directly in front of the objects line of motion. So how does gravity pull from the center of the circle and not just pull the object into the center? Phew! I hope you understood my question. I don't know how important it is, but I have always been a bit confused on this point.

This is an important point and you are asking an excellent question.

In the first place, note that a string tied to an object, holding the object in a circular path, pulls toward the center of the path without pulling the object into the center.

If the satellite was moving very fast then it could just pass right by the Earth, with only a slight change in its direction, a slight curvature to its path when it is near the Earth.

If it is moving too slowly, then the change in its path will be much greater, and its path will intersect the Earth, to the detriment of the satellite perhaps to bystanders.

If it is moving within a certain range of speeds, then the curvature and its path will be such that it follows an elliptical orbit about the Earth, with the center of the Earth being one of the foci of the ellipse.

If it is moving at just the right speed and in the right direction, the ellipse will in fact be a circle.

You will see this in the upcoming gravitational simulation.

self critique assessment: 2

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&#Good responses. See my notes and let me know if you have questions. &#