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If you think about a satellite orbiting the Earth, the force of gravity provides the centripetal force and acceleration. The satellite is basically falling towards the earth but does so at the same rate as the Earth curves away from it! Centripetal acceleration can be calculated using:
Where: a = centripetal acceleration (m/s2) v = velocity (m/s) r = radius of the circle (m) And from Newton's Second Law: F = ma, so
This is an equation for centripetal force. Example: A car of mass 750kg moves around a circular track of radius 50m with a speed of 10ms-1. What's the centripetal force on the car and which direction does it act in? Answer:
The direction of all centripetal forces is always towards the centre of the circle.
Vertical circles
When an object is moving in circles that are vertical, the weight of the object has to be taken into consideration. Example:
An object of mass 2kg is attached to the end of a string length 1m and whirled in a vertical circle at a constant speed of 4ms-1. Find the tension in the string at the top and the bottom of the circle. Assume gravity = 10 m/s2 Answer: The centripetal force is the resultant of all the other forces acting on the object. The only forces acting are the tension in the string, T, and weight, W, due to gravity. At the top: The tension and weight are both acting down. Hence, Centripetal force = tension + weight Fc = T + W So,
T = Fc - W = At the bottom: The tension acts up and the weight acts down. Hence, Centripetal force = tension - weight Fc = T - W So,
T = Fc + W = Note: If you are using v = r in your syllabus, you can substitute this into the equations for centripetal force and acceleration to find values using angular velocity. Share|| Email| Print
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