The centripetal acceleration of a large centrifuge as experienced in rocket launches and atmospheric reentries of astronauts
Problem:
A large centrifuge, like the one shown in Figure 6.34(a), is used to expose aspiring astronauts to accelerations similar to those experienced in rocket launches and atmospheric reentries.
(a) At what angular velocity is the centripetal acceleration 10g if the rider is 15.0 m from the center of rotation?
(b) The rider’s cage hangs on a pivot at the end of the arm, allowing it to swing outward during rotation as shown in Figure 6.34(b). At what angle θ below the horizontal will the cage hang when the centripetal acceleration is 10g? (Hint: The arm supplies centripetal force and supports the weight of the cage. Draw a free body diagram of the forces to see what the angle 10g should be.)
Figure 6.34 (a) NASA centrifuge used to subject trainees to accelerations similar to those experienced in rocket launches and reentries. (credit: NASA) (b) Rider in cage showing how the cage pivots outward during rotation. This allows the total force exerted on the rider by the cage to always be along its axis.
Solution:
Part A
The centripetal acceleration, ac, is calculated using the formula ac=rω2. Solving for the angular velocity, ω, in terms of the other variables, we should come up with
The free-body diagram of the rider’s cage hangs on a pivot at the end of the arm of a large centrifuge.
Summing forces in the vertical direction, we have
∑FyFarmsinθ−wFarm=0=0=sinθwEquation 1
Now, summing forces in the horizontal direction, taking into account that Fc is the centripetal force which is the net force. That is,
Fc=mac
We know that Fc is equal to the horizontal component of the force Farm. That is Fc=Farmcosθ. Therefore,
Farmcosθ=mac
Now, we can substitute equation 1 into the equation, and the value of the centripetal acceleration given at 10g. Also, we note that the weight w is equal to mg. So, we have
Farmcosθsinθwcosθsinθmgcosθ=mac=m(10g)=10mg
From here, we are going to use the trigonometric identity tanθ=cosθsinθ. We can also cancel m, and g since they can be found on both sides of the equation.
The radius and centripetal acceleration of a bobsled turn on an ideally banked curve
Problem:
(a) What is the radius of a bobsled turn banked at 75.0° and taken at 30.0 m/s, assuming it is ideally banked?
(b) Calculate the centripetal acceleration.
(c) Does this acceleration seem large to you?
Solution:
Part A
For ideally banked curved, the ideal banking angle is given by the formula tanθ=rgv2. We can solve for r in terms of all the other variables, and we should come up with
r=gtanθv2
We are given the following values:
ideal banking angle, θ=75.0∘
linear speed, v=30.0m/s
acceleration due to gravity, g=9.81m/s2
If we substitute all the given values into our formula for r, we have
What is the ideal speed to take a 100 m radius curve banked at a 20.0° angle?
Solution:
The formula for the ideal speed on a banked curve can be derived from the formula of the ideal angle. That is, starting from tanθ=rgv2, we can solve for v.
v=rgtanθ
For this problem, we are given the following values:
radius of curvature, r=100m
acceleration due to gravity, g=9.81m/s2
banking angle, θ=20.0∘
If we substitute the given values into our formula, we have
What is the ideal banking angle for a gentle turn of 1.20 km radius on a highway with a 105 km/h speed limit (about 65 mi/h), assuming everyone travels at the limit?
Solution:
The ideal banking angle (meaning there is no involved friction) of a car on a curve is given by the formula:
θ=tan−1(rgv2)
We are given the following values:
radius of curvature, r=1.20km×1km1000m=1200m
linear velocity, v=105km/h×1km1000m×3600s1h=29.1667m/s
acceleration due to gravity, g=9.81m/s2
If we substitute these values into our formula, we come up with
Centripetal force Fc is any force causing uniform circular motion. It is a “center-seeking” force that always points toward the center of rotation. It is perpendicular to linear velocity v and has magnitude Fc=mac which can also be expressed as
Fc=mrv2orFc=mrω2
For this particular problem, we are going to use the formula Fc=mrω2. If we substitute the given values, we have
The centripetal force of a child riding a merry-go-round
Problem:
(a) A 22.0 kg child is riding a playground merry-go-round that is rotating at 40.0 rev/min. What centripetal force must she exert to stay on if she is 1.25 m from its center?
(b) What centripetal force does she need to stay on an amusement park merry-go-round that rotates at 3.00 rev/min if she is 8.00 m from its center?
(c) Compare each force with her weight.
Solution:
Part A
We are given the following values: m=22.0kg, ω=40.0rev/min, and r=1.25m. We are asked to solve for the centripetal force, Fc.
Centripetal force Fc is any force causing uniform circular motion. It is a “center-seeking” force that always points toward the center of rotation. It is perpendicular to linear velocity v and has magnitude Fc=mac, which can also be expressed as Fc=mrv2 or Fc=mrω2. Basing from the given values, we are going to solve the problem using the formula
Fc=mrω2
First, we need to convert the angular velocity ω to rad/sec for unit homogeneity.
40rev/min×1rev2πrad×60sec1min=4.1888rad/sec
Now, we can substitute the given values into our formula.
Centripetal acceleration of an amusement park ride shaped like a Viking ship
Problem:
Riders in an amusement park ride shaped like a Viking ship hung from a large pivot are rotated back and forth like a rigid pendulum. Sometime near the middle of the ride, the ship is momentarily motionless at the top of its circular arc. The ship then swings down under the influence of gravity. The speed at the bottom of the arc is 23.4 m/s.
(a) What is the centripetal acceleration at the bottom of the arc?
(b) Draw a free-body diagram of the forces acting on a rider at the bottom of the arc.
(c) Find the force exerted by the ride on a 60.0 kg rider and compare it to her weight.
From the second law of motion, the force is equal to the product of the mass and the acceleration. In this case, we are going to use the formula, Fc=mac. We are given the mass to be m=1.00×10−15kg, and the centripetal acceleration is solved in Part B.
A rotating space station is said to create “artificial gravity”—a loosely-defined term used for an acceleration that would be crudely similar to gravity. The outer wall of the rotating space station would become a floor for the astronauts, and centripetal acceleration supplied by the floor would allow astronauts to exercise and maintain muscle and bone strength more naturally than in non-rotating space environments. If the space station is 200 m in diameter, what angular velocity would produce an “artificial gravity” of 9.80 m/s2 at the rim?
Solution:
We are given the following quantities:
radius=2diameter=2200m=100m
centripetal acceleration,ac=9.80m/s2
Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration experienced while in uniform circular motion. It always points toward the center of rotation. The formula for centripetal acceleration is
ac=rω2
If we solve for the angular velocity in terms of the other quantities, we have
Verify that the linear speed of an ultracentrifuge is about 0.50 km/s, and Earth in its orbit is about 30 km/s by calculating:
(a) The linear speed of a point on an ultracentrifuge 0.100 m from its center, rotating at 50,000 rev/min.
(b) The linear speed of Earth in its orbit about the Sun (use data from the text on the radius of Earth’s orbit and approximate it as being circular).
Solution:
Part A
We are given a linear speed of an ultracentrifuge of 0.50km/s. We are asked to verify this value if we are given a radius of r=0.100m and angular velocity of ω=50000rev/min. We are going to use the formula
v=rω
Since we are given a linear speed in km/s, we are going to convert the radius to km, and the angular velocity to rad/sec
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