APC CENTRIPETAL FORCE NOTES Monday, October 23, 2017
7:38 AM
Preliminary Information: Acceleration = tangential velocity squared divided by radius Centripetal Force = mass *the acceleration listed above.
Gravitational force is G *mass 1 *mass2/distance between the masses squared. Centripetal acceleration is acceleration due to change in direction. Does this mean an object can have acceleration while going a constant speed? Tangential acceleration is the acceleration due to change in speed. Tides difference in the gravitational force between the moon and the earth for a given point on a surface.
SECONDARY INFORMATION: CENTRIPETAL MEANS CENTER SEEKING - SO THE CENTRIPETAL force ALWAYS POINTS TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE CIRCLE. And therefore centripetal acceleration also points toward the center of the circle. THE DIRECTION OF THE VELOCIOTY IN CIRCULAR MOTION IS ALWAYS TANGENT TO THE CIRCLE. ORBITING OBJECTS ARE IN FREE FALL - WHY DON'T THEY HIT THE GROUND?...it is going too fast to hit ground.
IF AN OBJECT IS TRAVELING IN CIRCULAR ITS TENDENCY TO MOVE TOWARD THE OUTSIDE IT SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS CENTFRIFUGAL, BUT YOU Oct 18 Page 1
THE OUTSIDE IT SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS CENTFRIFUGAL, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T USE THAT IT IS JUST THE RESULT INERTIA. CENTRIPETAL FORCE IS NECESSARY FOR CIRC MOTION SO IF THERE IS NO CENTRIPETAL FORCE THEN THERE IS NO CIRCULAR MOTION. So what happens an will then travel in a straight line.
Example problems - HEY These are really example problems from your textbook found on page 135. An object of mass 0.5 kg is attached to the end of a cord whose length is 1.50 m. The object is whirled in a horizontal circle. If the cord can withstand a max tension of 50 N, what is the max speed the object can have before the cord breaks? …subtle… Can you whirl an object in a vertical circle? An object of mass M is suspended from a string of length L. The object revolves in horizontal circle of radius R with a constant speed as shown in the figure. Find the speed of the object.