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Circular Motion Lab Questions
Explain how we know that there must be a centripetal force acting on any object that is changing direction.
Explain what force is acting as the centripetal force on the rubber stopper and how you know.
Calculate the percent error between your calculated values for the centripetal force and the values that you
should have gotten according to your answer in number 2.
If the rubber stopper was not traveling in a perfectly horizontal force above your head during the experiment,
how would this affect the centripetal force acting on the stopper (think about vectors)?
An object is traveling in a non-perfect circle. What does this mean about the centripetal force acting on the
object? Defend your answer with equations.
An object is moving in a circle with a constant angular speed. The radius of the circle that the object is moving in
is cut in half. What must happen to the centripetal force acting on the object for it to be able to move in this
new circle with the same angular speed? Defend your answer with equations.
An object is moving in a circle with a constant angular speed. Centripetal force acting on the object is doubled.
What must happen to the angular speed of the object in order for it to continue moving in the same circle as it
was before the centripetal force was changed? Defend your answer with equations.
An object is moving in a circle with a constant angular speed. The time that it takes to travel through an angular
displacement of θ is doubled. What must have happened to the centripetal force acting on the object if the
radius of the circle it is traveling in didn’t change? Defend your answer with equations.
An object is moving in a circle with a constant angular speed. What would must have happened to the
centripetal force acting on this object if the angular displacement is halved at the same time that the radius of
the circle is doubled? Defend your answer with equations.
An object is moving in a circle with a constant angular speed. What will happen to the arc length that the object
moves through if the radius of the circle the object is moving in is quadrupled at the same time that the
centripetal force is doubled? Defend your answer with equations.