1 000 kg car, 10 m/s, radius 50 m. Centripetal acceleration?
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A
2 m/s²
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B
4 m/s²
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C
5 m/s²
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D
10 m/s²
The centripetal acceleration of the car is 2 m/s².
Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration required to keep an object moving in a circular path. It depends only on the speed of the object and the radius of the circular path, not on the mass of the object. The relationship used is:
centripetal acceleration equals speed squared divided by radius
where speed is the velocity of the object and radius is the radius of the curve.
A) 2 m/s²
Substituting the given values into the relationship gives:
centripetal acceleration equals 10 meters per second squared divided by 50 meters
centripetal acceleration equals 100 divided by 50
centripetal acceleration equals 2 meters per second squared
This correctly applies the centripetal acceleration relationship.
B) 4 m/s²
This value would result from dividing by 25 meters instead of the given 50 meters, or from another arithmetic error. It does not match the correct calculation using the stated radius.
C) 5 m/s²
This option reflects an incorrect manipulation of the relationship, such as using the radius incorrectly or miscalculating the square of the speed.
D) 10 m/s²
This value would imply either ignoring the radius entirely or confusing centripetal acceleration with linear acceleration. It is not supported by the correct relationship.
Conclusion
Centripetal acceleration depends on the square of the speed divided by the radius of the circular path. Using the given values yields a centripetal acceleration of 2 m/s².
Topic Flashcards
Click to FlipWhat is the formula for calculating centripetal acceleration (a_c) when you know an object's constant linear speed (v) and the radius (r) of its circular path?
a_c = v² / r
A 1000 kg car travels at 10 m/s around a curve with a radius of 50 m. Calculate its centripetal acceleration. Why is the car's mass not needed for this calculation?
a_c = (10 m/s)² / 50 m = 2 m/s². Mass is not needed because centripetal acceleration depends only on speed and radius (a_c = v²/r), not on mass.
If the car in the previous question doubles its speed to 20 m/s while on the same 50 m curve, what happens to the required centripetal acceleration?
It quadruples to 8 m/s². (a_c = (20)²/50 = 400/50 = 8 m/s²). Since a_c ∝ v², doubling speed increases acceleration by a factor of four.
What real-world force acts as the centripetal force that allows a car to turn on a flat, unbanked road?
Static friction between the tires and the road surface.
In uniform circular motion, the centripetal acceleration is constant in magnitude but not in direction. Explain why.
The magnitude is constant if speed (v) and radius (r) are constant (a_c = v²/r). However, its direction is always changing because it must continuously point toward the center of the circle as the object moves.