Physics Hwk Problem: Centripetal Acceleration

In summary, Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path, always directed towards the center of the circle. It differs from regular acceleration in that it changes the direction of motion, rather than speed, and is always perpendicular to the object's velocity. The formula for calculating centripetal acceleration is a = v^2/r, and it is directly related to centripetal force. Real-life examples include car motion, merry-go-rounds, and satellite orbit.
  • #1
shawonna23
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A ceiling fan has two different angular speed settings: w1 = 485 rev/min and w2 = 120 rev/min. What is the ratio (a1/a2) of the centripetal accelerations of a given point on a fan blade?

How would I go about solving this problem?
 
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  • #2
What's the formula for centripetal acceleration? Hint: Find the formula for centripetal acceleration in terms of angular speed ([itex]\omega[/itex]).
 
  • #3
Physics hwk problem: Centripetal Acceleration

I used the equation: w^2=a/r. I found the angular speed, but i don't know what the radius is.
 
  • #4
The radius will not change between the two speed settings.
 

1. What is centripetal acceleration?

Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration experienced by an object moving in a circular path. It is always directed towards the center of the circle and its magnitude is equal to the square of the object's linear speed divided by the radius of the circle.

2. How is centripetal acceleration different from regular acceleration?

Centripetal acceleration is a type of acceleration that changes the direction of an object's motion, while regular acceleration changes the object's speed. Centripetal acceleration is always perpendicular to the object's velocity, while regular acceleration can be in any direction.

3. What is the formula for calculating centripetal acceleration?

The formula for centripetal acceleration is a = v^2/r, where a is the acceleration, v is the linear speed, and r is the radius of the circular path.

4. How does centripetal acceleration relate to centripetal force?

Centripetal acceleration is directly related to centripetal force, as the force required to keep an object moving in a circular path is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its centripetal acceleration. This force is always directed towards the center of the circle.

5. What are some real-life examples of centripetal acceleration?

Some examples of centripetal acceleration in everyday life include the motion of a car around a curve, the rotation of a merry-go-round, and the movement of a satellite in orbit around the Earth.

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