PDA

View Full Version : centripetal acceleration problem


agentd00nut
Oct18-05, 06:40 PM
ok i have this problem

A train traveling at a constant speed rounds a curve of radius 375 m. A chandelier suspended from the ceiling swings out to an angle of 18.0° throughout the turn. What is the speed of the train?

so far i have 9.8sin(18)=(v^2)/375
v^2/R being force
and i got V=33.7 but it was wrong and just for kicks i switched from sin to cos and i still got the wrong answer im not sure where i've gone wrong

thanks for your help,
johnny
__________________________________________________ _______

Doc Al
Oct18-05, 07:02 PM
Not sure where you got that equation. (And v^2/R is the centripetal acceleration, not force.)

Analyze the forces acting on the chandelier and apply Newton's 2nd law. (Hint: Analyze the vertical and horizontal components separately.)