Sierzega: Circular Motion 2

Circular Motion Problem Solving

1 v2 2r
T ac  v
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1. An athlete whirls a 7 kg hammer 1.8 m from the axis of rotation in a horizontal circle. If the hammer
makes one revolution is 1.0 s, what is the centripetal acceleration of the hammer? What is the force

 chain on the hammer? 
exerted by the (Ans: 497 N)

2. What is the direction of the force that acts on the clothes in the spin cycle of a washing machine? What
exerts the force?

3. If a 40.0 g stone is whirled horizontally on the end of a 0.60 m string at a speed of 2.2 m/s, what is the
force the string exerts on the stone? (Ans: 0.322 N)
Sierzega: Circular Motion 2

4. A bowling ball has a mass of 7.3 kg. If you move it around a circle with a radius of 0.75 m and a
velocity of 2.5 m/s, what force would you have to exert on it? (Ans: 60.8 N)

5. A 615 kg racing car completes one lap in 14.3 s around a circular track with a radius of 50.0 m. the car
moves at a constant speed.
a. What is the acceleration of the car? (Ans: 9.6 m/s2)
b. What force must the track exert on the tires to produce this acceleration? (Ans: 5904 N)

6. Friction provides the force needed for a car to travel around a flat, circular racetrack. What is the
maximum speed at which a car can safely travel if the radius of the track is 80 m and the coefficient of
kinetic friction is 0.4? (Ans: 17.7 m/s2)
Sierzega: Circular Motion 2

7. A top spins 10 times in 2 seconds.

a. What is the frequency of rotation? (5 rev/sec)
b. What is the period of rotation? (0.2 s)

8. The Gravitron ride at an amusement park spins 75 times in 3 minutes. Here, the floor falls out and the
riders are “stuck” to the wall. The radius of the ride is 5 meters. A physics student with mass of 75 kg is
riding the ride.
a. What is the frequency of the ride? (0.4166 rev/sec)
b. What is the period of the ride? (2.4 s)
c. What is the circular velocity of the ride? (13.1 m/s)
d. What is the centripetal acceleration of the ride? (34.4 m/s2)
e. What is the centripetal force exerted by the ride on the student? (2570 N)
Sierzega: Circular Motion 2

9. What is the centripetal acceleration of an astronaut that orbits the Earth once every 24 hours at a distance
of 43,300 km from Earth’s surface? (2968 km/h2)

10. Distinguish between a centripetal force and a centrifugal force. Which reference frame applies to each?
Provide an example of each of these types of force.
Sierzega: Circular Motion 2

11. A 400 kg motorcycle (including rider) enters a 7 m radius loop-the-loop. The rider maintains a speed of
10 m/s throughout the loop.
a. What is the centripetal force necessary to keep the rider and motorcycle in a circular path?
(5714 N)
b. What is the magnitude of the force the Earth exerts on the motorcycle at the top of the loop?
(3920 N)
c. What is the force exerted by the track at the top of the loop? (1794 N)
d. What is the minimum speed he can have to just make the loop? (8.28 m/s)
Sierzega: Circular Motion 2

12. A student swings a 100 g hooked mass in a vertical circle of radius 85 cm. He continues to increase the
speed (you need to convert units).
a. Where in the circular path will the string most likely break?
b. If the maximum force the string can exert on the mass is 250 N, what is the greatest speed the
object can have without breaking the string? (46 m/s)