10.0 Centripetal Force.notebook
Centripetal Force
Centripetal Force, Fc, is the NET force
required to be acting on an object to cause it
to maintain motion along a circular path at a
constant speed.
Since it is a Net Force, the equations for
Centripetal Force can be developed using
Newton's Second Law and the three forms of
the equation for Centripetal Acceleration.
Example
Jowad, with a mass of 92 kg, was riding on a Merry Go Round which
had a radius of 3.5 m. If the ride made one rotation every 12 seconds
determine the Centripetal Force needed. What is the cause of this
force?
a c = v2
r
ac = 4π2r
T2
ac = 4π2r f2
Example 2
Mat was whirling a 7.5 kg bucket of water in a vertical loop. He didn't quite
understand circular motion, so he wanted to go at the lowest possible
frequency to NOT allow the water to fall out of the bucket. What
frequency must he rotate the bucket at? Where in the rotation will his
applied force be greatest? What is the magnitude of this force?
1